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JUL 291936 

Logical 

N 



HYMNS AND PSALMS, 



Socfai atrtr JJrfoate S$?ott»Jui>- 



THIRD EDITION, CORRECTED. 



it __ 



CAMBRIDGE : 

PRINTED BY HILLIARD AND METCALF. 

1825. 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 

in 2011 with funding from 

Calvin College 



http://www.archive.org/details/selectionofhymnsOOdabn 



PREFACE. 



The following selection has been arranged according 
to the natural succession of topics. If this principle of 
classification, — thought to be the most simple and per- 
spicuous, — has been followed out with the precision 
aimed at, it will in a great measure supersede to the 
reader who has become familiar with it, the necessity 
of an Index. That appendage has however been fur- 
nished. Two objects have been principally kept in view 
in this work, — to embrace all those pieces which had the 
claim of long-established favour, or which, though less 
known, were of sufficient merit to be regarded as standard 
devotional poetry ; and also, as far as possible, all that 
variety of subject which public instructions, or domes- 
tic and personal circumstances require. Hence may 
have arisen a redundancy on some topics ; or the inser- 
tion of particular hymns which were deemed worthy of a 
place not so much from their poetical merit, as from some 
of the thoughts they present. To accumulate farther 
than these rules require, would be a needless enlarge- 
ment of the work ; and the evil of deficiency, if indeed 
it can be longer felt, is more easily remedied than that of 
unlimited copiousness. 

As that praise which with some, probably, attaches to 
a compilation of this kind from the number of originals 



IV PREFACE. 

with which it is graced, is no part of the compiler's 
ambition, it is proper to apprize the reader that the 
hymns which appear as anonymous, are such as from 
the changes and combinations they have undergone, or 
from other causes, do not easily admit of any name being 
affixed to them. In the remainder, alterations have often 
been made by the present compiler, and more frequently 
have been adopted from those who preceded him. In 
regard to the last, the authors of these changes are of 
course so numerous, and often so uncertain, that to 
specify them is impossible, and only this general acknowl- 
edgment of obligation can be made. 

If the desire to satisfy the demands of good taste, has 
led the compiler in any instance to sacrifice what is far 
more important, the devotional spirit, he can only regret 
that he has failed, where his solicitude was greatest ; and 
with examples before his eyes, that, if they were ineffectu- 
al to warn, may now serve to solace him. The charac- 
ter of too much of the sacred poetry, which has of late 
originated among us, evinces that this union is indeed 
a rare and high attainment ; and not less, that any ex- 
treme of harsh and prosaical expression can be more 
easily forgiven, than the sickly and finical elegance into 
which solicitude on this point so often degenerates. It 
is proper also to say here, that practical utility has been 
ever kept in mind, as what ought to be the only aim of 
a work like this. Some pieces accordingly which the 
appellation of sacred poetry might possibly embrace, 
and likely from the names they bear, to recommend 
this volume, to the mere reader of taste, have yet been 



PREFACE. V 

thought far foreign from its character and design. Ex- 
amples in point will readily recur to mind. And none 
probably would be more surprised than the authors of 
such, to learn that they had ever found their way into 
collections of psalmody. 

While the compiler trusts that a sectarian spirit does 
not appear in this selection, he has not been insensible, 
in preparing it, to the influence of such a work on the 
interests of truth as well as of piety. He ought not, of 
course, to expect for it very general acceptance. Truth, 
while it is so variously apprehended by believers, is, or 
should be, alike precious to them all. To think there- 
fore of attracting to such a work, the favour of the whole 
christian community, by divesting it of the distinctive 
features of each section of it, would be as idle and una- 
vailing, as it is indefensible. But while it has been his 
earnest desire and endeavour to preserve the pure faith 
of the gospel, he is not conscious of thereby departing 
from its spirit ; or of neglecting to render this offering 
to the cause of Christ, inoffensive, as far as may be, to 
his followers of every name. 

Cambridge, March 22, 1825. 



Hutrej: oC JPtnrt mines, 



JV. B. The references in both indexes are to the hymns, not to the 
page. 



Absurd and vain attempt, to bind 
Again our weekly labours end 
Again the Lord of life and light 
Ah ! why should this mistaken mind 
Ah ! worldly souls, who strive in vain 
All nature dies and lives ag-ain 
All nature feels attractive power 
All-powerful, self-existent God 
All-seeing- God ! 'tis thine to know 
Amidst a world of hopes and fears 
And art thou with us, gracious Lord 
And is the gospel peace and love 
And is there then, no lenient art 
And must this body die 
And now, my soul, another year 
And wilt thou, great and glorious God 
Angel, roll the stone away 
Arise, my soul ! extend thy wings 
Arise, my soul ! on wings sublime 
Arise, my soul ! shake off thy fears 
Arise, O God of grace ! arise 
Author of being ! when thy word 
Author of life ! with reason's dawn 
Awake, my torpid soul ! awake 
Awake, my soul ! and with the sun 
Awake, my soul ! lift up thine eyes 
Awake, my soul ! shake off the dream 
Awake, my soul ! stretch every nerve 
Awake, my soul ! to hymns of praise 

B 
Before Jehovah's awful throne 
Behold the amazing sight 
Behold the grace appears 
Behold the Prinfce of peace 



Scott. 188 
Capped Sel. 7 
Mrs. Barbauld. 20 
Mrs. Steele. 236 
Mrs. Steele. 239 
Logan. 287 
Drennan. 179 
Walker's Col. 87 
Scott. 189 
Henry Moore. 242 
Doddridge. 91 
Mrs. Steele. 139 
Mrs. Steele. 234 
Watts. 280 
Browne. 331 
343 
Scott. 130 
Doddridge. 292 
Gibbons. 264 
Watts. 382 
Watts. 344 
P. 51 
Logan. 174 
Doddridge. 247 
Kenn. 368 
Mrs. Barbauld. 250 
Browne. 196 
Doddridge. 255 
Merrick. 38 

Watts. 5 

Doddridge. 137 

Watts. 310 

jYeedham. 116 



Vlll 



INDEX OF FIRST LINES. 



Behold, where in a mortal form 
Behold where breathing love divine 
Be thou exalted, O my God 
Beset with snares on every hand 
Blest are the sons of peace 
" Blest are the meek," he said 
Blest be the tie that binds 
Bless'd be the everlasting- God 
Bless'd Instructor ! from thy ways 
Bless the God of our salvation 
Bless, O my soul ! the living- God 
Blest is the man who fears the Lord 
Blest is the man who shuns the place 
Blest is the man whose heart is kind 
Blest is the man who stands in awe 
Blest hour, when virtuous friends 
Bright orb of heaven, thy circuit stay 
Broad is the road that leads to death 



Can creatures to perfection find 
Canst thou, my soul ! forget that friend 
Celestial worlds ! your Maker's name 
Come hither, all ye weary souls 
Come let us search our ways and try 
Come, said Jesus' sacred voice 
Come to the house of prayer 
Courage ! ye partners in distress 
Creation's God ! on thee alone 

E 

Eat, drink, in memor) 7 of your 
Enough of life's vain scene I 've trod 
Eternal and almighty King- 
Eternal God ! almighty cause 
Eternal Power, whose high abode 
Eternal Source of every joy 
Eternal Source of light and thought 

F 

Faith adds new charms to earthly 
Far from mortal cares retreating 
Far from thy servants, God of grace 
Far from these scenes of night 
Far from the world, O Lord ! I fle 
Father adored in worlds above 
Father divine ! before thy view 



Enfield. 


140 


Mrs. Barbauld. 


180 


Watts. 


48 


Doddridge. 


246 


Watts. 


356 


Exeter Col. 


195 


Fawcett. 


383 


Watts. 


289 


Merrick. 


205 


Exeter Col. 


305 


Watts. 


61 


Exeter Col. 


216 


Watts. 


221 


Watts. 


314 


Tate. 


229 


Liv. Par. st. Col. 


320 


Butcher. 


290 


Watts. 


244 


Walts. 


84 




299 


Williams'' Col. 


30 


Waits. 


380 


Watts. 


176 


Mrs. Barbaidd. 


128 


Mus E. Taylor. 


23 


C. Wesley. 


275 


Merrick. 


46 


Birmingham Col. 


306 


Walker. 


158 


Doddridge. 


149 


Browne. 


81 


Watts. 


25 


Doddridge. 


342 


Cappers Sel. 


75 


Salisbury Col. 


237 


J. Taylor. 


22 


Doddridge. 


178 


Mrs. Steele. 


295 


Cowper. 


199 




134 


J. Taylor. 


16'2 



INDEX OP FIRST LINES. 



IX 



Father divine ! thy gracious power 
Father divine ! thy piercing eye 
Father ! I thank thee ; may no thought 
Father ! and is thy table spread 
Father in heaven ! thy sacred 
Father of all ! omniscient mind 
Father of all ! whose cares extend 
Father of him we own our Lord 
Father of light ! conduct my feet 
Father of lights ! my footsteps guide 
Father of lights ! we sing thy name 
Father of men ! thy care we bless 
Father of mercies ! in thy word 
Father of our feeble race 
Father supreme of heaven and earth 
Fountain of blessing ! God of love 
Frail life of man ! how short its stay 
From depths of sadness and distress 
From north and south, from east and west 
From this world's joys and senseless mirth 

G 

Give me the wings of faith to rise. 

Give to the winds thy fears 

Glorious things of thee are spoken 

Glory be to God on high 

Glory to thee, my God ! this night 

God in the gospel of his son 

God is the refuge of his saints 

God moves in a mysterious way 

God, my supporter and my hope 

God of eternity ! from thee 

God of mercy ! God of love 

God of my life ! thro' all its days 

God of my life ! my thanks to thee 

God of our lives ! thy constant care 

God of the morning ! at thy voice 

God of the universe, whose hand 

God reigns ! events in order flow 

God to correct the world 

God, who art love, whose kindness binds 

Great Author of all nature's frame 

Great Cause of all things ! Source of life 

Greatest of beings ! Source of life 

Great is the Lord, our God 

Great Former of this various frame 

Great Framer of unnumbered worlds 



Liv. R. st. Col. 60 

Doddridge. 349 

JV. 170 

Doddridge. 301 

Liv. Par. st. Col. 78 

Blacklock. 89 

Pope. 76 

Watts. 141 

Smart. 241 

Scott. 248 

Doddridge. 59 

Doddridge. 348 

Mrs. Steele. 143 

J. Taylor. 



177 
310 

74 
261 



Salisbury Col 

Henry Moore 

Denham. 212 
Butcher. 293 
Bowden. 297 



Waits. 142 

C. Wesley. 110 

Olney Hymns. 377 

J. Taylor. 1 

Kenn. 370 

Beddome. 378 

Watts. 376 

Cowper. 108 

Watts. 160 

Doddridge. 267 

J. Taylor. 206 

Doddridge. 67 

Browne. 55 

Doddridge. 329 

Watts. 365 

W. Taylor. 42 

Scott. 102 

Jervis. 338 

C. 384 

Scott. 155 

Dyer. 40 

Dyer. 33 

Watts. 373 

Doddridge. 260 

Dyer. 335 



INDEX OF FIRST LINES. 



Great God ! at whose all-powerful call 
Great God ! how infinite art thou 
Great God ! how vast is thine abode 
Great God ! in vain man's narrow view 
Great God of grace ! accept my 
Great God of grace ! arise and shine 
Great God ! thy peerless excellence 
Great Lord of angels ! we adore 
Great Ruler of all nature's frame 
Great Ruler of the earth and skies 
Great Source of life ! our souls confess 



Enfield's Sel. 32? 

Watts. 86 

Jervis. 93 

Kippis. 83 

Walker's Col. 184 

Keedham. 138 

Browne. 150 

Doddridge. 345 

Liv. R. st. Col. 223 

Mrs. Steele. 339 

Doddridge. 64 



H 

Hail, great Creator ! wise and good Liv. Old Col. 28 

Hail the day that sees him rise Salisbury Col. 132 

Happy the heart where graces reign Watts. 181 

Happy the meek, whose gentle breast Scott. 194 

Hark ! it is wisdom's voice Doddridge. 355 

Hark! the glad sound ; the Saviour comes Doddridge. 117 

Hark ! what celestial sounds Salisbury Col. 309 

Heavenly Father ! Sovereign Lord Salisbury Col. 16 

Hear, Lord ! the song of praise and prayer Cowper. 316 

Hear what God the Lord hath spoken 

Hear what the voice from heaven 

He dies, the friend of sinners dies 

He that has made his refuge God 

High in the heavens, eternal God 

House of our God, with cheerful anthems 

How are thy servants blest, O Lord 

How blest the sacred tie that binds 

How happy is he born and taught 

How rich thy gifts, almighty King 

How still and peaceful is the grave 

How vast is the tribute I owe 

How vast thy works, almighty Lord 

How well our great protector knows 



Cowper. 136 

Watts. 286 

Watts. 131 

Watts. 318 

Tate. 43 

Doddridge. 328 

Addison. 104 

Mrs. Barbauld. 357 

Wotton. 359 

Kippis. 341 

Scotch Par. 285 

Jervis. 58 

Merrick. 99 

Merrick. 224 



I love thy Zion, Lord 
Imposture shrinks from light 
Inquire, ye pilgrims, for the way 
Jesus is gone above the sky 
Jesus, the friend of man 

K 

Keep silence, all created things 



Ev. Luth. Col. 353 

Scott. 14& 

Doddridge. 4 

Watts. 302 

Watts. 304 

Watts. 96 



INDEX OP FIRST LINES. 



XI 



Let all thy realms, O earth ! rejoice Taic. 

Let coward guilt with pallid fear Mrs. Carter. 

Let men of high conceit and zeal Browne. 

Let one loud song of praise arise Roscoe. 

Let party names no more Beddome* 

Let us with a joyful mind J\Iilton. 
Let songs of praise from all below 

Life is a span, a fleeting hour Mrs. Steele. 

Life is the time to serve thee, Lord Watts. 

Like shadows gliding o'er the plain J. Taylor. 

Lights of your race in ancient times Scott. 

Look round, O man ! survey this globe Liv. Old Col. 

Lo ! God is here : let us adore Salisbury Col. 

Lo ! another year is gone Olney Hymns. 

Lo ! Israel's shepherd stands Doddridge. 

Lord, before thy presence come J. Taylor. 

Lord, I am thine ; but thou wilt prove Watts. 

Lord ! in the morning thou shalt hear Watts. 

Lord ! how secure and blest is he Olney Hymns. 
Lord of life, all praise excelling 

Lord of my life ! each morn on thee Liv. Old Col. 

Lord of the sabbath ! hear our vows Doddridge. 

Lord of the worlds above Watts. 

Lord of the world's majestic frame Jervis. 

Lord ! thou art good ; all nature shows Browne. 

Lord ! thou hast searched and seen me thro' Watts. 

Lord ! thro' the dubious path of life Exeter Col. 

Lord ! we adore thy vast designs Watts. 
Lord ! we have made thy word our choice 
Lord ! what our ears have heard 

Lord ! while my thoughts with wonder Mrs, 
Lord, who's the happy man that may 

M 
Mark the soft-falling snow Doddridge. 

My Father ! cheering name Mrs. Steele. 

My Father ! I adore 
My Father and my King 
My God ! all nature owns thy sway 
My God ! how endless is thy love 
My God, my King ! thy various praise 
My God, permit me not to be 
My God ! permit my tongue 
My God ! the covenant of thy love 
My God ! the steps of pious men Watts. 



Watts. 

Watts. 

Steele. 

Tate. 



Mrs. Steele. 
Miss Williams. 
Watts. 
Watts. 
Watts. 
Watts. 
Doddridge. 



6 

362 

182 

50 

187 

44 

363 

322 

240 

266 

379 

29 

24 

333 

307 

21 

273 

18 

220 

313 

369 

26 

12 

31 

94 

90 

253 

109 

144 

308 

156 

11 



119 
151 
375 

53 
164 
364 

47 
201 
163 
230 
380 



Ml 



INDEX OP FIRST LINES. 



My God ! the visits of thy face 
My God ! thy service well demands 
Mv God ! what inward grief I feel 
My God ! whose all-pervading- eye 
My God ! whose all-pervading eye 
My God ! thy boundless love I praise 
M\ heart and all my ways, O God 
My Helper, God ! I bless thy name 
My soul, praise the Lord 
My soul shall praise thee, O my God 
My soul ! spring up with ardent flight 
My soul ! the awful hour will come 
My Sovereign ! to thy throne 

O 

O blest are they who born from heaven 

O blest is he, divinely blest 

O come, and to the almighty King 

O Father ! though the anxious fear 

O for an overcoming faith 

O God of Bethel ! by whose hand 

O God of grace ! how oft have we 

O God of mercy ! hear, forgive 

O God of our forefathers ! hear 

O God ! our Father and our King 

O God ! our help in ages past 

O God ! thou just and kind 

O God ! thy gracious aid impart 

O God ! to whose all-searching sight 

O God ! while nature speaks thy praise 

O happy is the man who hears 

O happy soul that lives on high 

O here, if ever, God of love 

O how shalJ words with equal warmth 

O let us with a grateful mind 

O Lord ! how excellent thy name 

O Lord ! my best desires fulfil 

O Lord of earth, and seas, and skies 

O Lord ! to earth's contracted span 

On God supreme our hope depends 

O praise ye the Lord 

O Source of uncreated light 

O that the Lord would guide my ways 

O the abundance of thine house 

O there 's a better world on high 

O Thou ! before whose gracious throne 



Mrs. Steele. 233 

Doddridge. 360 

Watts. 204 

Watts. 186 

Doddridge. 161 

Henry Moore. 66 

Arbuckle. 92 

Doddridge. 385 

Park. 32 

Heginbotham. 63 

Doddridge. 263 

Doddridge. 279 

Scott. 361 



Doddridge. 154 
Blacklock. 222 
Tate. 2 
Mrs. Barbauld. 8 
Watts. 278 
Doddridge. 252 
Exeter Col. 336 
Watts. 209 
Salisbury Col. 254 
Browne. 183 
Watts. 269 
Patrick. 73 
Birmingham Col. 203 
200 
Mrs. Steele 39 
Logan. 354 
Watts. 219 
Miss E. Taylor. 303 
Addison. 57 
Cotton. 190 
Grove. 97 
Cowper. 168 
Browne. 101 
Pope. 77 
C. Wesley. 113 
Tate. 49 
Dry den. 15 
Watts. 238 
Cotton. 351 
W. Boston Col. 274 
Rippon's Col. 346 



INDEX OF FIRST LINES. 



Xlil 



O Thou ! from whom all blessing's 
O Thou, my earliest, latest hope 
O Thou, my father and my friend 
O Thou the wretched's sure retreat 
O Thou, through all thy works adored 
O Thou ! whose all-discerning- eye 
O Thou ! whose mercy hears 
O ye who seek Jehovah's face 
Our country is Immanuel's ground 
Our God as merciful as just 
Our life advancing- to its close 



Salisbury Col. 311 

Watts. 172 

Exeter Col. 192 

J\Irs. Carter. 214 

Enfield. 36 

Watts. 14 

Mrs. Steele. 210 

J. Taylor. 315 

Mrs. Barbauld. 251 

Mrs. Barbauld. 152 

Merrick. 332 



Parent of all, omnipotent 
Parent of g-ood ! we rest on thee 
Patience, O 'tis a grace divine 
Peace ! 'tis the Lord Jehovah's hand 
Perpetual source of light and grace 
Praise, everlasting- praise be paid 
Praise to God, the great Creator 
Praise to God, immortal praise 
Praise to his grace, who loud proclaims 
Praise to the Lord of boundless might 
Providence, profusely kind 

R 

Raise your triumphant songs 
Remark my soul the narrow bounds 
Return my roving heart, return 



Walker. 135 

Merrick. 171 

Rippon's Col. 193 

Watts. 166 

Doddridge. 208 

Watts. 232 

J. Taylor. 125 

Mrs. Barbauld. 52 

Doddridge. 115 

Doddridge. 114 

Mrs. Steele. 257 



Watts. 124 
Doddridge, 330 
Doddridge. 198 



Searcher of hearts ! my thoughts 
Shine forth, eternal source of light 
Shine on our souls, eternal God 
Sing to the Lord, ye distant lands 
Sing, ye redeemed of the Lord 
Soft are the fruitful showers 
So let our lips and lives express 
Supreme and universal light 
Sweet is the friendly voice 



Ev. Luth. Col 207 

Doddridge. 148 

Doddridge. 153 

Watts. 118 

Doddridge. 129 

Henry Moore. 235 

Watts. 202 

Henry Moore. 72 

Jervis. 213 



That awful hour will soon appear 
The evils that beset our path 
Thee we adore, eternal name 
The gifts indulgent heaven bestows 
b 



Mrs. Steele. 272 

Olney Hymns. 262 

Doddridge. 268 

Mrs. Steele. 1 1 1 



XIV 



LXDEX OF FIRST LJNES. 



The God of heaven is kind and just 

The heavens declare thy glory, Lord 

The heart dejected sighs to know 

The highest heaven cannot contain 

The Lord himself, the mighty Lord 

The Lord ! how tender is his love 

The Lord my pasture shall prepare 

The man whose faith and hope are strong 

The morning flowers display their sweets 

There is a God, all nature speaks 

There is a glorious world on high 

There is a house not made with hands 

There is a land of pure delight 

The rising morn, the closing day 

The rolling year, almighty Lord 

The sacred joy that virtue brings 

The spacious firmament on high 

The starry hosts in order move 

The swift-declining day 

The traveller lost in night 

This feast was Jesus' high behest 

This is the day the Lord of life 

Those happy realms of peace and joy 

Thou, God of mercy ! wilt indulge 

Thou God, who reign'st alone 

Thou great Creator, Father, Lord 

Thou great and sacred Lord of all 

Thou Lord by mortal eyes unseen 

Thou Lord through every changing 

Thou Power by whose command I live 

Thou who dwell'st enthroned above 

Thou, who with wide and absolute 

Thou unseen Power, arrayed 

Though earthly shepherds dwell in dust 

Through all the various shifting scene 

Through all the changing scenes of life 

The uplifted eye and bended knee 

Thus far, thou, Lord ! hast led me on 

To calm the sorrows of the mind 

To God let fervent prayers arise 

To Thee, let my first offerings rise 

To Thee, O God ! my days are known 

To Thee, O God ! my prayer ascends 

To Thee, O God ! we homage pay 

To Thee, Supreme, eternal mind 

To your Creator God 

Triumphant, Lord ! thy goodness reigns 



Jervis. 227 

Watts. 133 

Needham. 291 

Drennan. 350 

Tate. 374 

Darwin. 165 

Addison. 103 

Earle. 358 

C. Wesley. 271 

Mrs. Steele. 80 

Mrs. Steele. 296 

Watts. 282 

Watts. 294 

Mrs. Steele. 325 

Keedham. 326 

Mrs. Carter. 215 

Addison. 79 

Grove. 98 

Doddridge. 265 

Mrs. Steele. 121 

Enfield's Sel. 298 

Cotton. 17 

Mrs. Steele. 283 

Fawcett. 321 

Drummond. 82 

Mrs. Steele. 100 

Williams' Col. 71 

Mason. 122 

Doddridge. 259 

Mrs. Carter. 54 

Sandys. 45 

Mrs. Barbauld. 88 

Henry K. White. 37 

Doddridge. 347 

Liv. Old Col. 105 

Tate. 231 

175 

Watts. 371 

Jervis. 228 

Watts. 135 

Drennan. 367 

Doddridge. 157 

Mrs. Rowe. 69 

Doddridge. 120 

Mrs. Carter. 70 

Mrs. Steele. 27 

Doddridge. 95 



INDEX OP FIRST LINES. 



U 

Unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb 
Upward we lift our eyes 

W 



Watts. 323 
Watts. 317 



Weak and irresolute is man 
We hail the glorious day 
We own the grace divine 
What countless myriads draw their breath 
What eyes like thine, eternal Sire 
What glory gilds thy word 
What pleasure, Lord ! thy house attends 
What seraph of celestial birth 
What shail we render, God of love 
What though downy slumbers flee 
What works of wisdom, power, and love 
W r hen a few years or days perhaps 
When all the powers of nature fail 
When all thy mercies ! O my God 
When as returns this solemn day 
When darkness long has veiled my mind 
When fancy spreads her boldest wing 
When from the verge of youth, my mind 
When gloomy thoughts and boding fears 
When in the light of faith divine 
When in the vale of lengthened years 
When life's tempestuous storms 
When opening life its scenes unfolds 
When present sufferings pain our hearts 
When reft of all and hopeless care 
When rising from the bed of death 
When sickness shakes the languid 
When storms hang o'er the christian's 
When the last trumpet's awful voice 
Wherefore should man, frail child of clay 
Wherewith shall I approach thee, Lord 
While beauty clothes the fertile vale 
While raptured saints adoring- stand 
While some in folly's pleasures roll 
While sounds of Avar are heard around 
While with ceaseless course, the sun 
While thee I seek, protecting power 
While through life's pilgrimage I stray 
While to the grave our friends are borne 
Who, gracious Father ! can complain 
Why do I thus perplex 



Cowper. 

Watts. 

Watts. 

Scott. 

Merrick. 

Coicper. 

Watts. 

Tate. 

Ev. Luth Col. 

Doddridge. 

Butcher. 

Hawkesworth, 

Jervis. 

Addison. 

Mrs. Barbauld. 

Cowper. 

Mrs. Steele. 

Merrick. 

Mrs. Steele. 

Watts. 



W. Boston. Col, 

Mrs. Steele. 

Drummond. 

Addison. 

Heginbotham. 

Heginbotham. 

Scotch Par. 

Enfield. 

Browne. 

Mrs. Steele. 

Collett. 

Cotton. 

Aiken. 

Olney Hymns. 

Miss Williams. 

Merrick. 

Mrs. Steele. 

Scott. 

Seott. 



243 
19 
3 
126 
112 
145 
13 
41 
312 
372 
123 
270 
276 
56 
9 
167 
258 
249 
226 
256 
173 
284 
352 
169 
225 
211 
277 
218 
288 
197 
10 
324 
68 
217 
337 
334 
159 
147 
319 
106 
1^1 



XVI 



INDEX OF FIRST LINES. 



Why do we waste in trifling- cares 
With ecstacy of joy 

With eye impartial, heaven's high King 
With g*lad amazement, Lord ! I stand 
With grateful heart and cheerful tongue 
With grateful joy, O man, record 
With pleasing wonder Lord ! we view 
With sleep's oblivion o'er me spread 

Y 

Ye followers of the Prince of peace 
Ye golden lamps of heaven, farewell 
Ye weak inhabitants of clav 



Doddridge. 245 

Doddridge. 127 

Needham. 107 

Doddridge. 62 

Ogilvie. 35 

Doddridge. 34 

Doddridge. 65 

Hawkesworth. 366 



Beddome. 300 
Doddridge. 281 
Doddridge. 8& 



. INDEX OF SUBJECTS. 



PUBLIC WORSHIP, Introduction of, 1—26, 373. Worship of the One 
Supreme, 2. Of the God of Holiness, 18. The House of God, his 
presence in, 24. Invitation to, 4, 23. The heavenly Sabbath, T, 26. 
The christian Lord's Day, 17, 19, 20. Acceptable Worship, 9—11, 14, 
175. Sanctuary privileges, delight in, 12, 13. Privation of, 351. 
Abuse of, 203. 

GENERAL PRAISE, PRAYER, &c. The God of creation adored, 
27—35, 44, 46. The God of Providence celebrated, 39—44, 59—61, 
64. Greatness of God in the elements, 36-38. Universal Praise, 1, 
5, 6, 46. Exalted and perpetual Praise, 16, 25, 45-51. Gratitude far 
personal mercies, 52-67. Gratitude under all circumstances, 52, 63. 
Prayer for the gifts of Providence and grace generally, 68-73. For 
spiritual blessings especially, 15, 69, 72, 74-77. The Lord's pray- 
er, 78. 

GOD. Manifested in his works, 29, 30, 79, 80. The One Supreme, 2, 
The One Living and True, 81, 82. The Creator, 97. Creator of man, 
54. Invisible, 149. Infinite and eternal, 86. His unchangeable ex- 
istence, 87, 88, 260. His universal presence and knowledge, 89-93. 
His universal goodness, 66,94,95, 101. His majesty, 85. His per- 
fections unknown, 83, 84. His foreknowledge and decrees, 96. Con- 
stancy of the natural world, dependent oil him, 93. 

His moral attributes, 150. His condescension, 107. His faithfulness, 
231, 232. riis paternal character, 151, 375. His mercy, the reliance 
of the penitent, 209-214. His benignity in every religious dispensa- 
tion, 115. Equity of his government, 106, 110. The refuge of his 
servants, 113, 218. The protector of innocence, 61, 112. The guar- 
dian of successive generations, 259 The desire and portion of his 
people, 160, 161. The leader of his people, 254 His peculiar favour 
to his people, 65. The Supreme good, 253. The Searcher of hearts, 
207. The source of consolation, 228. 

His Providence, constant and paternal, 99-105, 374. Mysterious, 108, 
109. Human exertions dependent upon it, 102, 153. "Chastisements 
of it, kindly designed, 223-225. 

JESUS CHRIST. The Light of the world, 114, 116, 379. The image 
of tne invisible God, 122. The messenger of pardon, 124. His na- 
tivity, 309, 310. His mission, 117, 118, 124. His miraculous charac- 



XV111 INDEX OP SUBJECTS. 

ter, 123, 379. His example, 139-142. His death and exaltation, 130- 
132. His final advent, 1 1H. His love to mankind, 304. Fidelity to 
him, 299. Moral influence of his sufferings, 137. A future life assur- 
ed by his resurrection, 278, 280, 289. His church, a living temple, 

127. Its prosperity and safety, 376, 377. 

Gospel of Jesus, benignity of God in, 125. Invitations of mercy by it, 

128, 380. Moral efficacy of it, 119-121. Privileges and obligations of 
it, 106, 126. Privileges of it abused, 203. A Highway to Zion, 129. 
A perfect law of liberty, 203. Promoted by the obedience of its disci- 
ples, 202. Progress and universal prevalence of it, 133-136, 138. 

SACRED SCRIPTURES. Instruction and comfort from, 143,144, 378. 
Their moral efficacy, 145. Dispositions of mind proper for their study, 
146. Light and knowledge on religious truths implored, 75, 147, 148. 

CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. God, devout aspirations towards, 149, 
152, 163. Imitation of, 150. Fear of, 155. Trust in, 162, 165. Faith 
and Hope in, 156. Resignation to, in adversity, 166-163, 170 Habitual 
Devotion, 157, 159, 164. Daily Devotion, 154. Early piety, 174, 
354. Devout sentiments of the aged, 172, 173. 

Social virtues, essential to acceptance, 175. The charities of life and 
kind affections, 177-133. Zeal regulated by charity, 182, 186. Envy 
and revenged eprecated, 71, 176, 183. Catholicism and Candour, 187- 
139. Beneficent use of wealth, 134. Virtuous love of country, 185. 
The relations of life, instruments of religion, 204, 356. 

Personal Virtues, generally, 196, 202. Contentment, 190. Patience, 
193. Christian fortitude, 238, 248. Worldly anxiety reproved, 191. 
Meekness, 194, 195. Humility, 192, 197. Purity of heart, 192, 200. 
Religious retirement, 199, 201. Self-control, 200. Self-communion 
and inward scrutiny, 192, 198, 205 Profaneness condemned, 204. A 
religious life, progressiveness of, 203. Inconstancy in, 208. 

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. Its privileges and comforts, 215-222, 230- 
235. The secret happiness of a true christian, 219, 220. Serenity of 
mind founded on piety, 216. Conscience, peace of, 217, 222. Differ- 
ent issues of a religious and a sinful life, 221, 222, 381. Religion, the 
effectual comforter, 226, 233, 234. Attractiveness of Religion, 235. 
Memory of the good, precious, 229. 

Its difficulties and discouragements, 240-255. Spiritual aid needed there- 
in, 243. Implored, 241," 242, 248, 252-254. Exemplary and perfect 
obedience aspired after, 238, 239. Life, the only season of probation, 
240 Christian Watchfulness, 192, 247. Perseverance in the religious 
life, 244. Religion, the all-essential concern, 245, 246. Peculiar dan- 
gers of youth, 249. The christian life, a warfare, 250, 382. A race, 
255. A pilgrimage, 251, 274, 275. 

MISCELLANEOUS. Faith, 109, 232, 236, 237. Ignorance of man, 
171. Conscience, subject to God only, 188. Power of it, 355. Heav- 
enly wisdom, 354, 355. Mutability of the world, 260-262. Vanity 
and brevity of life, 266, 269, 271. Lapse of time improved, 265- 
267,330,331. God the supreme good, 257, 258. Prospects of the 
christian, 264, 273. Sickness and death, anticipated, 276, 277. God 
and the gospel, our support in, 277-230. The christian farewell, 28L 



INDEX OF SUBJECTS. XIX 

The dying paint, 234. Peace of the grave, 235, 236. Resurrection of 
man, 287-289. The great consummation, 290. Kii.nl retribution, 291, 
292. Heaven, contemplation of its glory, 282,233,294-297. The 
reward of virtuous exertions, 296. A region of perpetual light, 281. 
An eternal rest, 26. Final acceptance of all the obedient, 293. 

OCCASIONAL. The Lord's Supper, 298-306. Baptism, 4, 307. 308. 
Christmas, 309-311. Charity occasions, 312-316. Prevalent diseases 
or dangers, 317, 318. Personal sickness, 360, 361. Death of friends 
or children, 286, 319-323. The Year, seasons of it, 324-327. 
Commencement and close of it, 328-334, 385. Public Fast, 335-338. 
Religious or solemn festivals, 35, 49, 311, 340-342. Changes of War 
and Peace, 337, 339 For a christian Society, 342-347, 384 Domes- 
tic circumstances, 348-355. Family Devotion, its obligations or bene- 
fits, 154, 348, 356. Secret Devotion, 349, 350. The relations of life, 
sanctified by Religion, !53, 356, 357, 383. Religious education and 
Early life, 174, 249, 352, 354. For the Aged, 172, 173. 358. For the 
mariner or traveller, 104, 363. In a thunder-storm, 362 Morning or 
Evening, 364, 369. Morning, 365-368. Evening, 370-372. 



ERRATUM. 

On pages 346 — 357, for the running title " Part IV. Domestic 
and Private Devotion," read " Supplement j" and, as the 
Hymns from No 373 inclusive, to the end, are miscellaneous, consult 
the title of each for its subject. 






HYMNS AND PSALMS. 



PAST X. 

FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 

HYMN 1. 7s M. 

Praise to the Most High God. 

1 Glory be to God on high ! 
God, whose glory fills the sky ; 
Peace on earth to man forgiven, 
Man, the well beloved of heaven : 

Glory be to God on high ! 
God, whose glory fills the sky. 

2 Favoured mortals, raise the song ; 
Endless thanks to God belong ; 
Hearts o'erflowing with his praise, 
Join the hymns your voices raise. 

3 Call the tribes of beings round, 
From Creation's utmost bound ; 
Where the Godhead shines confessed, 
There be solemn praise addressed. 

1 



2 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part I. 

4 Mark the wonders of his hand ! 
Power, no empire can withstand ; 
Wisdom, angels' glorious theme ; 
Goodness, one eternal stream. 

5 Awful Being ! from thy throne 
Send thy promised blessings down ; 
Let thy light, thy truth, thy peace, 
Bid our raging passions cease. 



HYMN 2. L. M. 

Praise to the One Supreme. Ps. xcv. 

1 O come, and to th' Almighty King 
Triumphant anthems let us sing ! 
To him who, high enthroned in state, 
Is with unrivalled glory great. 

2 The depths of earth are in his hand, 
Her secret wealth at his command ; 
The strength of hills that threat the skies, 
Subjected to his empire lies. 

3 The rolling ocean's vast abyss 

By the same sovereign right is his ; 
? Tis moved by that Almighty hand, 
Which formed and fixed the solid land. 

4 Above the earth, bejond the sky, 
Stands his high throne of majesty ; 
Nor time, nor place, his power restrain, 
Or bound his universal reign. 



Part L] OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 3 

5 O let us to his courts repair, 
And bow in adoration there ; 
To him address, in joyful songs, 
The praise that to his name belongs ! 



HYMN 3. P. M. 

Assembling- for Public Worship. Ps. cxxii. 

We own the grace divine 

Which all unites, to join, 
And praise and seek their God to-day ; 

We would, with cheerful zeal, 

Haste to thine holy hill, 
And there our vows and homage pay. 

Thrice happy is the place, 
Where God unveils his face, 

The purest pleasures there are found : 
His servants there appear 
To pray, and praise, and hear 

The sacred gospel's joyful sound. 

May peace attend thy gate, 

And joy within thee wait, 
To bless the soul of every guest : 

The man that seeks thy peace. 

And wishes thine increase, 
Unnumbered blessings on him rest ! 

My soul shall pray again, 
Peace with this house remain, 
For here my friends and brethren dwell ; 



FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part I. 

And since my Father here 
Draws to his children near, 
My soul shall ever love thee well. 



HYMN 4. C. M. 

Invitation to the Sanctuary and Service of God. Jer. 1. 5. 

1 Inquire, ye pilgrims, for the way 

That leads to Zion's hill ; 
And thither set your steadfast face, 
With a determined will. 

2 Invite the strangers all around, 

Your pious march to join ; 
And spread the sentiments you feel 
Of faith and love divine. 

3 Come, let us to his temple haste, 

And seek his favour there ; 
Before his footstool humbly bow, 
And pour our fervent prayer. 

4 Come, let us join our souls to God 

In everlasting bands; 
And seize the blessings he bestows, 
With eager hearts and hands. 

5 Come, let us seal without delay 

The covenant of his grace ; 
Nor shall the years of distant life 
Its memory efface. 



Part I.] OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 5 

6 Thus may our rising offspring haste 
To seek their fathers' God ; 
Nor e'er forsake the happy path, 
Their youthful feet have trod. 



HYMN 5. L. M. 

Praise to the Creator. Ps. c. 1. 3 — 5. 

1 Before Jehovah's awful throne, 
Ye nations, bow with sacred joy ; 
Know that the Lord is God alone ; 
He can create, and he destroy. 

2 His sovereign word, which all things made, 
Gave life to clay, and formed us men : 
And, when like wandering sheep we strayed, 
He brought us to his fold again. 

3 We are his people, we his care, 
Our nobler, and our meaner frame : 
What lasting honours can we rear, 
Almighty Maker, to thy name ? 

4 We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs; 
High as the heavens our voices raise ; 
And earth, with her ten thousand tongues, 
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise. 

5 Wide as the world is thy command ; 
Vast as eternity thy love ; 

Firm as thy throne thy truth will stand, 
When rolling years shall cease to more, 
1* 



6 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part I. 

HYMN 6. L. M. 

Invocation to Worship. Ps. c. 

1 Let all thy realms, O earth ! rejoice 
Before the Lord, their sovereign King ! 
Serve him with cheerful heart and voice, 
And his unrivalled glories sing. 

2 Assured that he is God alone, 

From whom both we and all proceed ; 
We, whom he chooses for his own, 
The flock that he vouchsafes to feed. 

3 O enter then his temple gate, 
Thence to his courts devoutly press ; 
And still your grateful hymns repeat, 
And still his name with praises bless ! 

4 For he, and he alone, is good ; 
His mercy is for ever sure ; 

His truth, which always firmly stood, 
To endless ages shall endure. 



HYMN 7. L. Jf.. 

The Christian Sabbath. 

1 Agatn our weekly labours end, 
Whilst we religion's call attend : 
Arise, my soul ; enjoy thy rest, 
Improve the hour that God has blest. 



Part I.] OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 

2 This day may our devotions rise 
As grateful incense to the skies ; 
May heaven that peace divine bestow, 
Which none but they who feel it, know ! 

3 In sacred duties, let the day 

In sacred pleasures pass away : 
How sweet this day of rest to spend 
In hope of that which ne'er shall end ! 

4 This holy calm within the breast 
Is the dear pledge of endless rest, 
Which for the sons of God remains, 
The end of cares, the end of pains. 

5 O may Ave share a glorious part, 
When grace hath well refined the heart, 
And doubts and fears no more remain, 
To break our inward peace again. 

6 Then shall we see, and hear, and know. 
All we desired, or wished, below ; 

And every power find sweet employ, 
In that eternal world of joy. 



HYMN 8. C. M. 

The Sabbath of the Soul. 

1 O Father, though the anxious fear 
May cloud to morrow's way ; 
Nor fear, nor doubt, shall enter here,- 
All shall be thine to-day. 



8 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part I. 

2 We will not bring divided hearts 

To worship at thy shrine ; 
But each unworthy thought departs, 
And leaves this temple thine. 

3 Then sleep to-day, tormenting cares, 

Of earth and folly born ! 
Ye shall not dim the light that streams 
From this celestial morn. 

4 To-morrow will be time enough 

To feel your harsh control ; 
Ye shall not violate this day, 
The sabbath of the soul. 

5 Sleep, sleep for ever, guilty thoughts, 

Let fires of vengeance die ; 
And, purged from sin, may we behold 
A God of purity ! 



HYMN 9. L. M. 

The Sacrifice of the Heart. 

When, as returns this solemn day, 
Man comes to meet his Maker God, 
What rites, what honours shall he pay ? 
How spread his sovereign's name abroad ? 

From marble domes and gilded spires 
Shall curling clouds of incense rise ? 
And gems, and gold, and garlands deck 
The costly pomp of sacrifice ? 



Part I.] OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 

3 Vain, sinful man ! creation's Lord 
Thy golden offerings well may spare ; 
But give thy heart, and thou shalt find, 
Here dwells a God who heareth prayer. 

4 O grant us in this awful hour, 
From earth and sin's allurements free, 
To feel thy love, to own thy power, 
And raise each raptured thought to thee. 



HYMN 10. C. M. 

The acceptable Offering-. Micah vi. 6-8. 

1 Wherewith shall we approach thee, Lord, 

And bow before thy throne ? 
Or how procure thy kind regard, 
And for our guilt atone ? 

2 Shall altars flame, and victims bleed, 

And spicy fumes ascend ? 
Will these our earnest wish succeed, 
And make our God our friend ? 

3 Let no such hopes our souls delude ; 

Such pompous rites are vain ; 
But God has shown us what is good, 
And how his love to gain. 

4 To men their rights we must allow, 

And proofs of kindness give ; 
To God with humble reverence bow. 
And to his glory live. 



10 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part I 7 

5 Hands that are clean, and hearts sincere, 
He never will despise ; 
And cheerful duty will prefer 
To costly sacrifice. 



HYMN 11. C. M. 

The accepted Worshipper. Ps. xy. 

1 Lord, who's the happy man that may 

To thy blest courts repair ; 
And, while he bows before thy throne, 
Shall find acceptance there ? 

2 'Tis he, whose every thought and deed 

By rules of virtue moves ; 
Whose tongue disdains to speak the word 
His honest heart disproves : 

3 Who never will a slander forge, 

His neighbour's fame to wound ; 
Nor hearken to a false report 
By malice whispered round : 

4 Who vice, tho' dressed in pomp and power, 

Can treat with just neglect ; 
And piety, though meanly clad, 
Religiously respect : 

5 Who to his plighted vows and trust 

Has ever firmly stood ; 
And, though he promise to his loss, 
He makes his promise good. 



Part I.] OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 11 

6 The man who by this steady course 
Has happiness insured, 
When earth's foundations shake, shall stand 
By providence secured. 



HYMN 12. H. M. 

Delight in Public Worship. Ps. lxxxiv. 

1 Lord of the worlds above, 
How pleasant and how fair 
The dwellings of thy iove, 
Thine earthly temples are ! 

To thine abode 
My heart aspires, 
With warm desires 
To see my God. 

2 O happy souls that pray 
Where God appoints to hear ! 
O happy men that pay 
Their constant service there ! 

They praise thee still ; 
And happy they 
Who love the way 
To Zion's hill. 

3 Thou art their sun and shield, 
Their glory and defence ; 

Thy hands their blessings yield, 
They flow profusely thence. 



12 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part I. 

Thou wilt bestow 
On Jacob's race 
Peculiar grace 
And glory too. 

4 They go from strength to strength, 
Through this dark vale of tears, 
Till each arrives at length, 
Till each in heaven appears : 

O glorious seat, 

When God our King 

Shall thither bring 

Our willing feet. 



HYMN 18* L. M. 

Delight in Public Worship. Ps. lxxxiv. 

1 What pleasure, Lord ! thy house attends, 
When the whole heart to heaven ascends ; 
One day thus spent with thee on earth, 
Exceeds unnumbered days of mirth. 

2 While we can have the meanest place 
Within thy house, O God of grace, 
We would not absent from thee live, 
For all a tempting world can give. 

3 Blest are the spirits round thy throne, 
Who know thee, as themselves are known ; 
Thy brightest glories shine above, 

And all their work is praise and love. 



Part I.] OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 13 

4 Blest are the souls that find a place 
In earthly temples of thy grace : 
Here they behold thy gentler rays, 
Inquire thy will, and learn to praise. 

5 O may we walk with growing strength, 
Till all shall meet in heaven at length, 
Till all before thy face appear, 

And join in nobler worship there. 



HYMN 14. C. M. 

Sincere Worship alone acceptable. 

1 O thou ! whose all-discerning eye 

Explores the inmost mind ; 
In vain to heaven we raise our cry 
And leave our souls behind. 

2 Nothing but truth before thy throne 

With honour can appear ; 
The formal hypocrites are known 
Through the disguise they wear. 

3 Their lifted eyes salute the skies, 

Their bended knees the ground ; 
Thou wilt abhor the sacrifice, 
Where not the heart is found. 

4 O search my thoughts, and try my ways, 

And make my soul sincere ; 
Then may I stand before thy face, 
And find acceptance there. 

2 



14 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part I. 

HYMN 15. L. M. 

Divine Light and Guidance implored. 

1 O Source of uncreated light! 

By whom the worlds were raised from night, 
Come, visit every pious mind ; 
Come, pour thy jovs on human kind. 

2 Plenteous in grace, descend from high, 
Rich in thy matchless energy : 

From sin and sorrow set us free, 
And make us temples worthy thee. 

3 Cleanse and refine our earthly parts, 
Inflame and sanctify our hearts, 
Our frailties help, our vice control, 
Submit the senses 'to the soul. 

4 Thrice holy fount ! thrice holy fire ! 
Our hearts with heavenly love inspire ; 
Make us eternal truths receive, 

Aid us to live as we believe. 

5 Chase from our path each noxious foe, 
And peace, the fruit of love, bestow ; 
And lest our feet from wisdom stray, 
Be thou the guardian of our way. 

HYMN 16. 7s M. 

Humble Adoration. 

1 Heavenly Father ! Sovereign Lord ! 
Be tby glorious name adored ! 



Part L] OF PUBLIC WjORSHIP. 15 

Lord, thy mercies never fail ; 
Hail, celestial goodness, hail ! 

2 Though unworthy, let thine ear 
Now our humble homage hear ; 
Purer praise we hope to bring, 
When around thy throne we sing. 

3 While on earth ordained to stay, 
Guide our footsteps in thy way, 
Till we come to reign with thee. 
And thy glorious greatness see. 

4 Then with angel-harps again 
We will wake a nobler strain, 
There in joyful songs of praise, 
Our triumphant voices raise. 

5 There no tongue shall silent be, 
All shall join in harmony ; 

That through heaven's all-spacious round. 
Thy praise, O God, may ever sound. 



HYMN 17. C. M. 

A Lord's day Hymn. 

1 This is the day the Lord of life 
Ascended to the skies ! 
My thoughts, pursue the lofty theme, 
And to the heavens arise. 



16 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part L 

2 Let no vain cares divert my mind 

From this celestial road ; 
Nor all the honours of the earth 
Detain my soul from God. 

3 Think of the splendors of that place, 

The joys that are on high ; 
Nor meanly rest contented here, 
With worlds beneath the sky. 

4 Heaven is the birth-place of the saints ; 

Thither at length they tend ; 
Th' Almighty owns his favorite race, 
Their Father and their Friend. 

5 O may these tender titles prove 

My comfort and defence, 
When the sick couch shall be my lot, 
And death shall call me hence. 



HYMN 18. C. M. 

Worship of the God of Ploliness. Ps. v. 

Lord ! in the morning thou shalt hear 

My voice ascending high ; 
To thee will I direct my prayer, 

To thee lift up mine eye. 

Then to thine house will I resort, 
To taste thy mercies there ; 

I will frequent thy holy court, 
And worship in thy fear. 



Part I.] OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 17 

3 O may thy spirit guide my feet 

In ways of truth and grace ! 
Make every path of duty straight 
And plain before my face. 

4 Thou art a God before whose sight 

The wicked shall not stand ; 

Sinners shall ne'er be thy delight, 

Nor dwell at thy right hand. 

5 But they who love and fear thy name, 

Shall see their hopes fulfilled ; 
The mighty God will compass them 
With favour, as a shield, 



HYMN 19. S. M. 

Hymn for the Lord's day. Ps. cxviii. 

1 We hail the glorious day, 
With thankful heart and voice, 

Which chased each painful doubt away, 
And bade the church rejoice. 

2 The work, O Lord, is thine, 
And wondrous in our eyes ; 

This day proclaims it all "divine — 
This day did Jesus rise. 

3 Since he hath left the grave. 
His promises are true ; 

And each exalted hope he gave, 
Confirmed of God we view, 

2* 



18 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part I. 

4 O come the happy hour, 
When all the earth shall own 

Thy Son, O God ! declared with power, 
And worship at thy throne. 

5 That we possess thy word, 
Which all this grace displays, 

Accept, thou Father of our Lord, 
Our sacrifice of praise. 



HYMN 20. C. M. 

The Lord's day Morning. 

1 Again the Lord of life and light 

Awakes the kindling ray ; 
Unseals the eyelids of the morn, 
And pours increasing day. 

2 O what a night was that which wrapt 

The heathen world in gloom ! 
O what a sun, which broke this day, 
Triumphant from the tomb ! 

3 This day be grateful homage paid, 

And loud hosannas sung ; 
Let gladness dwell in every heart, 
And praise on every tongue. 

4 Ten thousand differing lips shall join 

To hail this welcome morn ; 
Which scatters blessings from its wings 
To nations yet unborn. 






Part I.] OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 19 

5 Jesus, the friend of human kind, 
Was crucified and slain ; 
Behold, the tomb its prey restores ! 
Behold, he lives again ! 



HYMN 21. 7s M. 

Eng-ag-edness in Devotion. 

1 Lord, before thy presence come. 
Bow we down with holy fear ; 
Call our erring footsteps home, 
Let us feel that thou art near. 

2 From thine high and holy place 
Where thou dost in glory reign, 
Thou in condescending grace 
Deign'st to hear the sons of men. 

3 Wandering thoughts and languid powers,, 
Come not where devotion kneels ; 

Let the soul expand her stores, 
Glowing with the joy she feels. 

4 At the portals of thine house, 
We resign our earth-born cares : 
Nobler thoughts our souls engross, 
Songs of praise and fervent prayers. 

5 Hapless men, whose footsteps stray 
From the temples of the Lord ! 
Teach them wisdom's heavenly way,; 
To their feet thy light afford. 



20 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part I. 

6 Now begin the glorious song, 
Theme of wonder, love, and joy ; 
Angels ! the glad notes prolong ; 
Seraphs ! 'tis your blest employ. 



HYMN 22. 8&7s M. 

Surrounding- the Mercy-seat. 

1 Far from mortal cares retreating, 

Sordid hopes and vain desires, 
Here our willing footsteps meeting, 

Every heart to heaven aspires. 
From the Fount of glory beaming, 

Light celestial cheers our eyes ; 
Mercy from above proclaiming, 

Peace and pardon from the skies. 

2 Who may share this great salvation ? — ■ 

Every pure and humble mind ; 
Every kindred, tongue, and nation, 

From the dross of guilt refined : 
Blessings all around bestowing, 

God withholds his care from none ; 
Grace and mercy ever flowing 

From the fountain of his throne. 

o Every stain of guilt confessing, 

Deed unrighteous, thought of sin, 
Seize, O seize the proffered blessing, 
Grace from God and peace within. 



Part I.] OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 21 

Lord ! with favour still attend us, 
Bless us with thy wondrous love ; 

Thou, our sun and shield, defend us : 
All our hope is from above. 



HYMN 23. S. M. 

Invitation to the House of God. 

1 Come to the house of Prayer, 

O thou afflicted, come ; 
The God of peace shall meet thee there. 
He makes that house his home. 

2 Come to the house of Praise, 

Ye who are happy now ; 
In sweet accord your voices raise, 
In kindred homage bow. 

3 Ye aged, hither come, 

For ye have felt his love ; 
Soon shall your trembling tongues be 
dumb, 
Your lips forget to move. 

4 Ye young, before his throne, 

Come, bow ; your voices raise ; 
Let not your hearts his praise disown, 
Who gives the power to praise. 

5 Thou, whose benignant eye 

In mercy looks on all ; 
Who see'st the tear of misery, 
And hear'st the mourner's call ; 



22 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part I. 

6 Up to thy dwelling-place 
Bear our frail spirits on, 
Till they outstrip time's tardy pace, 
And heaven on earth be won. 



HYMN 24. L. M. 

The Presence of God in his House. 

1 Lo, God is here ! let us adore, 
And humbly bow before his face : 
Let all within us feel his power, 
Let all within us seek his grace. 

2 Lo God is here ! him day and night 
United choirs of angels sing : 

To him, enthroned above all height, 
Heaven's host their noblest homage bring, 

3 Being of beings ! may our praise 
Thy courts with grateful fragrance fill : 
Still may we stand before thy face, 
Still hear and do thy sovereign will. 

4 Sovereign of all, below, above ! 
Man's noblest work is serving thee ; 
Thy spirit o'er our hearts shall move, 
And tune them all to harmony. 



HYMN 25. L. M. 

God exalted above all Praise. 

1 Eternal Power ! whose high abode 
Becomes the majesty of God ; 



Part I.] OF PUBLIC WORSHIP. 23 

Infinite lengths beyond the bounds 
Where stars revolve their little rounds ! 

2 Far in the depths of space, thy throne 
Burns with a lustre all its own ; 
There is thy face unveiled, and there 
The glories of the God appear. 

3 What then shall earth and frailty do ? 
Yet we would sing thy praises too ; 
From sin and dust to thee we cry, 
The Great, the Holy, and the High ! 

4 What of thyself in nature shines, 
Thy word reveals in clearer lines ; 
Yet still thy greatness leaves the mind 
With all its soaring thoughts behind. 

5 Thou art in heaven, and man below, — 
What glory can our praise bestow ? 

A sacred reverence checks our songs, 
And praise sits silent on our tongues. 



HYMN 26. L. M. 

"There remaineth a rest to the people of God." Heb. iv. 9. 

1 Lord of the sabbath ! hear our vows, 
On this thy day, in this thy house ; 
And own, as grateful sacrifice, 

The songs which from thy temples rise. 

2 Thine earthly sabbaths, Lord ! we love ; 
But there 's a nobler rest above ; 



24 FOR THE INTRODUCTION [Part L 

Thy servants to that rest aspire, 
With ardent hope and strong desire. 

3 No more fatigue, no more distress, 

Nor sin, nor death shall reach the place ; 
No sighs shall mingle with the songs, 
That dwell upon immortal tongues. 

4 No gloomy cares shall there annoy ; 
No conscious guilt disturb our joy ; 
No midnight shade, no clouded sun, 
But sacred, high, eternal noon. 

5 When shall that glorious day begin, 
Beyond the reach of death or sin ? 
Whose sun shall never more decline, 
But with unfading lustre shine ! 



FART XI. 

©F GENERAL PRAISE, THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 

HYMN 27. H. M. 

Greatful Praise. Ps. cxlviii. 

1 To your creator God, 
Your great preserver, raise, 
Ye creatures of his hand, 
Your highest notes of praise : 

Let every voice 
Proclaim his power, 
His name adore, 
And loud rejoice. 

2 Thou source of light and heat, 
Bright sovereign of the day, 
Dispensing blessings round 
With all-diffusive ray ; 

From morn to night, 
With every beam 
Record his name, 
Who made thee bright. 

3 Fair regent of the night, 
With all thy starry train, 
Which rise in silent hosts, 
To gild the azure plain ; 

3 



26 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

With countless rajs 
Declare his name, 
Prolong the theme, 
Reflect his praise. 

4 Let all the creatures join 
To celebrate his name, 
And all their various powers 
Assist th' exalted theme. 

Let nature raise, 
From every tongue, 
A general song 
Of grateful praise. 

5 But oh ! from human tongues 
Should nobler praises flow ; 
And every thankful heart 
With warm devotion glow : 

Your voices raise, 
Ye highly blest, 
Above the rest 
Declare his praise. 



HYMN 28. C. M. 

The God of Nature invoked. 

Hail, great Creator, wise and good ! 

To thee our songs we raise : 
Nature, through all her various scenes, 

Invites us to thy praise. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 27 

2 At morning, noon, and evening mild, 

Fresh wonders strike our view ; 
And, while we gaze, our hearts exult 
With transports ever new. 

3 Thy glory beams in every star 

Which gilds the gloom of night ; 
And decks the smiling face of morn 
With rays of cheerful light. 

4 The lofty hill, the humble vale, 

With countless beauties shine : 
The silent grove, the awful shade, 
Proclaim thy power divine. 

5 Great nature's God ! still may these scenes 

Our serious hours engage ; 
Still may our grateful hearts consult 
Thy works' instructive page ! 

6 And while, in all thy wondrous works, 

Thy varied love we see, 
Still may the contemplation lead 
Our hearts, O God ! to thee. 



HYMN 29. C. M. 

Devout Contemplation of Creation. 

Look round, O man ! survey this globe ; 

Speak of creating power ; 
See nature gives a different robe 

To every herb and flower. 



28 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part H. 

2 See various beings fill the air, 

And people earth and sea; 
What grateful changes form the year ! 
How constant night and day ! 

3 Next raise thine eye ; th' expanse above 

A power unbounded shows ; 
See round the sun the planets move, 
And various worlds compose. 

4 Then turn into thyself, O man ! 

With wonder view thy soul ; 
Confess his power who laid each plan. 
And still directs the whole. 

5 And let obedience to his laws 

Thy gratitude proclaim, 
To him, the first Almighty cause., 
Jehovah is his name. 



HYMN 30. L. M. 

Universal Praise. 

1 Celestial worlds ! your Maker's name 
Resound through every shining coast ; 
Our God a nobler praise will claim, 
Where he unfolds his glories most. 

2 Stupendous globe of flaming day ! 
Praise him in thy sublime career ; 

He struck from night thy peerless ray, 
Gave thee thy path, and guides thee there. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 29 

3 Ye starry lamps, to whom 'tis given 
Night's sable horrors to illume, 

Praise him who hung you high in heaven, 
With vivid fires to gild the gloom. 

4 Lightnings, that round th' Eternal play ! 
Thunders, that from his arm are hurled ! 
The grandeur of your God convey, 
Blazing, or bursting on the world. 

5 From clime to clime, from shore to shore, 
Be the almighty God adored : 

He made the nations by his power, 
And rules them with his sovereign word. 

6 At once let nature's ample round 
To God the vast thanks£ivin°: raise: 
His high perfection knows no bound, 
But fills immensity of space. 



HYMN 31. C. M. 

Praise, the peculiar Duty of Man. 

1 Lord of the world's majestic frame ! 

Stupendous are thy ways ; 
Thy various works declare thy name, 
And all resound thy praise. 

2 Those mighty orbs proclaim thy power, 

Whose motions speak thy skill ; 
And, on the wings of every hour, 
We read thy glory still. 

3* 



30 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II 

3 And while these radiant globes of light, 

That shine from pole to pole, 
In silent harmony unite 

To praise thee as they roll ; 

4 Oh ! shall not we of human race 

The glorious concert join ? 
Shall not the children of thy grace 
Attempt the theme divine ? 

5 Not all the feeble notes of time 

Can show forth God's high praise : 
Nor all the noblest strains sublime 
That earth or heaven can raise. 

6 Yet this shall be our best employ, 

Through life's uncertain days : 
And, in the realms of boundless joy, 
Eternal be thy praise. 



HYMN 32. P. M. 

Praise from the Creation. 

My soul, praise the Lord ! 

Speak good of his name, 
His mercies record, 

His bounties proclaim : 
To God, their creator, 

Let all creatures raise 
The song of thanksgiving, 

The chorus of praise ! 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 31 

2 Though hid from man's sight, 

God sits on his throne, 
Yet here by his works 

Their author is known : 
The world shines a mirror 

Its maker to show, 
And heaven views its image 

Reflected below. 

3 Those agents of power, 

Fire, water, earth, sky, 
Attest the dread might 

Of God the most high : 
Who rides on the whirlwind, 

While clouds veil his form ; 
Who smiles in the sunbeam, 

Or frowns in the storm. 

4 By knowledge supreme, 

By wisdom divine, 
God governs this earth 

With gracious design ; 
O'er beast, bird, and insect, 

His providence reigns, 
Whose will first created, 

Whose love still sustains. 

5 And man, his last work, 

With reason endued, 
Who, falling through sin, 
By grace is renewed ; 



32 OF GENERAL PRAISE, Part II.] 

To God, his creator, 

Let man ever raise 
The song of thanksgiving, 

The chorus of praise ! 



HYMN 33. L. M. 

Praise from the Works of God. 

1 Greatest of beings ! source of life, 
Sovereign of air, and earth, and sea ! 
AH nature feels thy power, and all 

A silent homage pays to thee. 

2 Waked by thy hand, the morning sun 
Pours forth to thee its earlier rays, 
And spreads thy glories as it climbs; 
While raptured worlds look up and praise. 

3 The moon to the deep shades of night 
Speaks the mild lustre of thy name ; 
While all the stars that cheer the scene 
Thee, the great Lord of light, proclaim. 

4 And groves, and vales, and rocks, and hiJls ; 
And every flower, and every tree, 

Ten thousand creatures warm with life, 
Have each a grateful song for thee. 

5 But man was formed to rise to heaven : 
And, blest with reason's clearer light, 
He views his Maker through his works, 
And glows with rapture at the sight. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 

6 Nor can the thousand songs that rise, 
Whether from air, or earth, or sea, 
So well repeat Jehovah's praise, 
Or raise such sacred harmony. 



HYMN 34. L. M. 

God adored for his Goodness. Ps. cvii. 31. 

1 With grateful joy, O man ! record 
The various wonders of the Lord ; 
And let his power and goodness sound, 
Thro' all your tribes, the earth around. 

2 Lo ! the high heavens your songs invite, 
Those spacious fields of brilliant light : 
Where sun, and moon, and planets roll, 
And stars, that glow from pole to pole. 

3 Sing earth, in verdant robes arrayed, 

Its herbs and flowers, its fruits and shade, 
Peopled with life its regions wide, 
Life, from its plenteous stores supplied. 

4 View the broad sea's majestic plain, 
And sing its Maker's boundless reign ; 
That band remotest nations joins, 
And on each wave his goodness shines. 

5 But O ! that brighter world above, 
Where lives and reigns eternal love ! 
Thither, my soul ! with rapture soar, 
There in the land of praise adore, 



34 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

HYMN 35. 6/. C. M. 

Hymn of universal Praise. Ps. cxlviii. 

1 With grateful heart and cheerful tongue 
To God we raise the sacred song, 

And praise th' almighty name ! 
Lo! heaven, and earth, and seas, and skies, 
In one harmonious concert rise, 

To swell th' inspiring theme ! 

2 Ye angels, catch the joyful sound, 
And, as ye wait his throne around, 

His wondrous goodness sing ! 
Let the full choir of saints above 
Join the glad strain of grateful love, 

And strike th' according string ! 

3 Thou heaven of heavens, his vast abode, 
Ye clouds, proclaim your maker, God ! 

Ye thunders speak his power ! 
Lo ! on the lightning's gleamy wing 
In triumph rides th' eternal King ; 

Th' astonished worlds adore. 

4 Ye deeps, whose roaring billows rise 
To join the thunders of the skies, 

Praise him who bids you roll ; 
His praise in softer notes declare, 
Each whispering breeze of yielding air, 

And breathe it to the soul. 

5 Wake, all ye soaring throng, and sing ! 
Ye cheerful warblers of the spring, 

Melodious anthems raise 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 35 

To him who shaped your finer mould, 
Who tipped jour glittering wings with gold, 
And tuned jour voice to praise. 

6 Let man, with nobler reason fraught, 
The feeling heart, the glowing thought, 

In God's high praise employ ! 
Spread the creator's name around, 
Till heaven's wide arch repeat the sound. 

The general burst of joy ! 



HYMN 36. L. M. 

L Praise to the Lord of Nature. 

1 O thou, through all thy works adored, 
Great power supreme, almighty Lord ! 
Author of life, whose sovereign sway 
Creatures of every tribe obey ! 

2 To thee, most high, to thee belong 
The suppliant prajer, the joyful song : 
To thee we will attune our voice, 
And in thy wondrous works rejoice. 

3 Planets, those wandering worlds above, 
Guided by thee, incessant move ; 
Suns, kindled by a ray divine, 

In honour of their maker shine. 

4 From thee proceeds heaven's varied store, 
The changing wind, the fruitful shower, 
The flying cloud, the coloured bow, 
The moulded hail, the feathered snow : 



36 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

5 Tempests obey thy mighty will ; 
Thine awful mandate to fulfil, 
The forked lightnings dart around, 
And rive the oak, and blast the ground. 

6 Yet pleased to bless, kind to supply, 
Thy hand supports thy family, 
And fosters, with a parent's care, 
The tribes of earth, and sea, and air. 



HYMN 37. C. M. 

God's Power seen in the Elements. 

1 Thou unseen Power arrayed in might, 

The winds obey thy will ; 
God speaks, and in the heavenly height 
The rolling sun stands still. 

2 Rebel, ye waves ! and o'er the land 

With threatening aspect roar ; 
The Lord uplifts his awful hand 
And chains you to the shore. 

3 Howl, winds of night ! your force combine ; 

Without his high behest, 
Ye shall not in the mountain pine 
Disturb the sparrow's nest. 

4 His voice sublime is heard afar, 

In distant peals it dies ; 
He yokes the whiriwiad to his car, 
And sweeps the howling skies. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 37 

5 Ye nations ! bend, in reverence bend ; 
Ye monarchs ! wait his nod, 
And bid the choral song ascend 
To celebrate the God ! 



HYMN 38. L. M. 

Divine Majesty and Goodness in the Elements. Ps. civ 

1 Awake, my soul, to hymns of praise ! 
To God the song of triumph raise ; 
Adorned with majesty divine, 

What pomp, what glory, Lord, are thine ! 

2 Light forms his robe, and round his head 
The heavens their ample curtain spread ; 
See on the wind's expanded wings 

The chariot of the King of kings ! 

S Around him ranged in awful state, 
Dark, silent storms attentive wait ; 
And thunders, ready to fulfil 
The mandates of his sovereign will. 

4 From earth's low margin to the skies 
He bids the dusky vapours rise ! 
Then, from his magazines on high, 
Commands th' imprisoned winds to fly. 

5 The lightning's pallid sheet expands, 
And showers descend on furrowed lands ; 
While down the mountain's channelled side 
The torrent rolls in swelling pride ; 

4 



38 OF GENERAL PRAISE, (Part II. 

6 Till, spent its wild, impetuous force, 
And settled in its destined course, 

It waters all the fruitful plains, 
And life in various forms sustains. 

7 Thus clouds, and storms, and fires obey 
Thy wise and all-controlling sway ; 
And while thy terrors round us stand, 
We see a Father's bounteous hand. 



HYMN 39. C. M. 

Providence kind and bountiful. Ps. cxlv. 

3 O God ! while nature speaks thy praise 
With all her numerous tongues ; 
Thy saints shall tune diviner lays, 
And love inspire their songs. 

2 Thy sovereign bounty freely gives 

Its unexhausted store, 
And universal nature lives 
On thy sustaining power. 

3 Wisdom, and might, and goodness, Lord ! 

Which through thy works appear, 
Should chiefly grateful man record, 
Man, thy distinguished care. 

4 From thee the breath of life he drew, 

That breath thy power maintains ; 
Thy tender mercy, ever new, 
His brittle frame sustains. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 39 

5 Yet nobler favours claim his praise, 

Of reason's light possest ; 
By revelation's brighter rays 
Still more divinely blest. 

6 Thy praises then, delightful theme ! 

Shall fill my heart and tongue ; 
Let all creation bless thy name, 
In one eternal song. 



HYMN 40. L. M. 

Man's Dependence upon God. 

1 Great cause of all things ! source of life, 
Sovereign of air, of earth, and sea ! 

All nature owns thy power ; but man 
A grateful tribute pays to thee. 

2 Subject to wants, to thee he looks, 
And from thy goodness seeks supplies ; 
And when opprest with guilt he mourns, 
Thy mercy lifts him to the skies. 

3 Children, whose little minds, unformed, 
Ne'er raised a tender thought to heaven ; 
And men whom reason lifts to God, 
Though oft by passion downward driven ; 

4 Those too who bend with age and care, 
And faint and tremble near the tomb ; 
Who, sickening at the present scenes, 
Sigh for that better state to come : — 



40 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

5 AH, great Creator ! all are thine ; 
All feel thy providential care ; 

And through each varying scene of life 
Alike thy constant pity share. 

6 And whether grief oppress the heart, 
Or whether joy elate the breast ; 
Or life still keep its varying course, 
Or death invite the heart to rest : 

7 All are thy messengers, and all 
Thy sacred pleasure, Lord, obey ; 
And all are training man to dwell 
Nearer to bliss and nearer thee. 



HYMN 41. L. M. 

The Divine Sovereignty. Ps. lxxxix. 

1 What seraph of celestial birth 

To vie with thee, Most High ! shall dare, 
Or who among the gods of earth 
Can with th 5 eternal One compare ? 

2 In thee the sovereign right remains 

Of earth and heaven ; thee, Lord, alone, 
The world and all that it contains, 
Their Maker and Preserver own. 

3 Happy, thrice happy they, who hear 
The sacred trumpet's joyful sound ; 
And who within thy gates appear, 

With God's most glorious presence crowned. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 41 

4 For thy stupendous truth and love, 

Both heaven and earth just honours owe, 
By choirs of angels sung above, 
And by assembled saints below. 



HYMN 42. L. M. 

Praise to the Divine Beneficence. 

1 God of the universe, whose hand 
Hath filled with suns the fields of space, 
Round which, obeying thy command, 
The peopled worlds fulfil their race ; 

2 How vast the region where thy hand 
Existence, form, and order gives ; 
Pleased the wide cup with joy to fill 
For all that grows, and feels, and lives. 

3 Lord, while we thank thee, let us learn 
Beneficence to all below ; 

Those praise thee best, whose bosoms burn 
To spread the gifts from thee that flow. 

4 So, at the awful hour of change, 

Our frames the bonds of death shall tear, 
Through the whole starry vast to range, 
Thy bounty to admire and share. 
4* 



42 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

HYMN 43. L. M. 

The Divine Perfections and Providence. Ps. xxxvi. 5 — 9. 

1 High in the heavens, eternal God, 
Thy goodness in full glory shines ; 

Thy truth shall break through every cloud 
Which veils and darkens thy designs. 

2 Thy justice like the hills remains, 
Unfathomed depths thy mercies are ; 
Thy providence the world sustains ; 
The whole creation is thy care. 

3 Since of thy goodness all partake, 
With what assurance may the just 
Thy sheltering wings their refuge make. 
And saints to thy protection trust. 

4 Such guests shall to thy courts be led, 
To banquet on thy love's repast, 
And drink, as from the fountain-head, 
Of joys which shall for ever last. 

5 O let thy saints thy favour gain, 
To upright hearts thy truth display; 
With thee the springs of life remain, 
Thy presence is eternal day. 



HYMN 44. 7s M. 

The Perfections and Providence of God. Ps. cxxxvi. 

1 Let us with a joyful mind 
Praise the Lord, for he is kind. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 43 

For his mercies shall endure 
Ever faithful, ever sure. 

2 Let us sound his name abroad, 
For of gods he is the God, 
Who by wisdom did create 
Heaven's expanse and all its state ; 

3 Did the solid earth ordain 
How to rise above the main : 
Who by his commanding might, 
Filled the new-made world with light ; 

4 Caused the golden- tressed sun 
All the day his course to run ; 
And the moon to shine by night, 
'Mid her spangled sisters bright. 

5 All his creatures God does feed, 
His full hand supplies their need ; 
Let us therefore warble forth 
His high majesty and worth. 

6 He his mansion hath on high, 
'Bove the reach of mortal eye ! 
And his mercies shall endure, 
Ever faithful, ever sure. 



HYMN 45. 7s M. 

The Harmony of Praise. 

1 Thou, who dwell'st enthroned above ! 
Thou, in whom we live and move ! 



44 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

Thou, who art most great, most high ! 
God from all eternity ! 

2 O how sweet, how excellent, 

'Tis when tongue and heart consent, 
Grateful hearts, and joyful tongues, 
Hymning thee in tuneful songs ! 

3 When the morning paints the skies, 
When the stars of evening rise, 
We thy praises will record, 
Sovereign Ruler, mighty Lord ! 

4 Decks the spring with flowers the field ? 
Harvest rich doth autumn yield ? 
Giver of all good below ! 

Lord, from thee these blessings flow. 

5 Sovereign Ruler ! mighty Lord ! 
We thy praises will record : 
Giver of these blessings ! we 
Pour the grateful song to thee. 



HYMN 46. 61 C. M. 

Invocation of all Creatures to praise God. 

Creation's God ! on thee alone, 

From earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne, 

Be all their praise bestowed ; 
Whose hand, the beauteous fabric made, 
Whose eye, the finished work surveyed, 

And saw that all was good. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 45 

2 Ye angels, who with loud acclaim 
Admiring viewed the new-born frame, 

And hailed th' eternal King ; 
Again proclaim your Maker's praise, 
Again your thankful voices raise, 

And sacred anthems sing. 

3 Ye sons of men, his praise display, 
Who stamped his image on your clay, 

And gave it power to move ; 
Where'er ye go, where'er ye dwell, 
From age to age successive tell 

The wonders of his love. 

4 Ye spirits of the just and good, 
Who, eager for the blest abode, 

To heavenly mansions soar ; 
O let your songs his praise display, 
Till heaven itself shall melt away, 

And time shall be no more. 

5 Praise him, ye meek and humble train, 
Who shall those heavenly joys obtain, 

Prepared for souls sincere ; 
O praise him, till ye take your way 
To regions of eternal day, 

To reign forever there. 



HYMN 47. L. M. 

God entitled to perpetual Praise. Ps. cxlv. 

1 My God ! my King ! thy various praise 
Shall fill the remnant of my days ; 



46 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

Thy grace employ my humble tongue 
Till death and glory raise the song. 

2 The wings of every hour shall bear 
Some thankful tribute to thine ear ; 
And every setting sun shall see 
New works of duty done for thee. 

3 Thy works with boundless glory shine, 
And speak thy majesty divine; 

Let land to land aloud proclaim 
The matchless honours of thy name. 

4 Let distant times and nations raise 
The long succession of thy praise ; 
And unborn ages make my song 
The joy and labour of their tongue. 



HYMN 48. L. M. 

Desiring to praise God. Ps. lvii. 

1 Be thou exalted, O my God ! 

Above the heavens where angels dwell 
Thy power on earth be known abroad, 
And land to land thy wonders tell. 

2 My heart is fixed ; my song shall raise 
Immortal honours to thy name : 
Awake, my tongue, to sound his praise, 
My tongue, the glory of my frame ! 






Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 47 

3 In thee, my God ! are all the springs 
Of boundless love, and grace unknown ; 
All the rich blessings nature brings, 

Are gifts descending from thy throne. 

4 High o'er the earth thy mercy reigns, 
And reaches to the utmost sky : 
Thy truth to endless years remains, 
When lower worlds dissolve and die. 

5 Be thou exalted, O my God ! 

Above the heavens where angels dwell: 
Thy power on earth be known abroad, 
And land to land thy wonders tell. 



HYMN 49. P. M. 

Hymn of Praise. Ps. cxlix. 

O praise yfi the Lord ! 
Prepare your glad voice, 
His praise in the great 
Assembly to sing. 
In their great Creator 
Let all men rejoice, 
And heirs of salvation 
Be glad in their King. 



2 Let them his great name 
Devoutly adore ; 
In loud swelling strains 
His praises express, 



48 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

Who graciously opens 
His bountiful store, 
Their wants to relieve, and 
His children to bless. 

3 With glory adorned, 
His people shall sing 
To God, who defence 
And plenty supplies ; 
Their loud acclamations 
To him their great King, 
Through earth shall be sounded, 
And reach to the skies. 

4 Ye angels above, 

His glories who've sung 
In loftiest notes, 
Now publish his praise : 
We, mortals, delighted, 
Would borrow your tongue ; 
Would join in your numbers, 
And chant to your lays. 



HYMN 50. L. M. 

Hymn to the Deity. 

1 Let one loud song of praise arise 

To God, whose goodness ceaseless flows ; 
Who dwells enthroned above the skies, 
And life and breath on all bestows. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 49 

2 Let all of good this bosom fires, 

To him, sole good, give praises due ; 
Let all the truth himself inspires, 
Unite to sing him only true. 

3 In ardent adoration joined, 
Obedient to thy holy will, 
Let all our faculties combined, 
Thy just commands, O God ! fulfil. 

4 O ! may the solemn-breathing sound 
Like incense rise before thy throne, 
Where thou, whose glory knows no bound, 
Great Cause of all things, dwell'st alone. 



HYMN 51. L. M. 

The Acts of God celebrated by all the intelligent Creation. 

1 Author of being ! when thy word 
Began creation's grand employ, 
Around seraphic harps were heard, 
And morning heralds sang for joy. 

2 And when, — to swell thy mercies more, 
Jesus, to bless our race, was born, 
Archangel voices went before, 

And harbingered salvation's dawn. 

3 There too where saints perfected dwell, 
From sin and care and sorrow free, 

In nearer presence blest, they swell 
An endless paean, Lord ! to thee. 

5 



50 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part if. 

4 Then let thy feeble children here, 
Join with the countless choirs above, 
Who round thy throne of light appear, 
To hymn thy praise and sing thy love. 



HYMN 52. 7s M. 

Praise to God in Prosperity and Adversity. Hab. iii. 17, 18. 

1 Praise to God, immortal praise, 
For the love that crowns our days : 
Bounteous source of every joy, 
Let thy praise our tongues employ : 

2 For the blessings of the field, 
For the stores the gardens yield ; 
For the vine's exalted juice, 
For the generous olive's use : 

3 Flocks that whiten all the plain, 
Yellow sheaves of ripened grain, 
Clouds that drop their fattening dews, 
Suns that temperate warmth diffuse : 

4 All that spring with bounteous hand 
Scatters o'er the smiling land ; 

All that liberal autumn pours 
From her rich, o'erflowing stores : 

5 These to thee, our God ! we owe, 
Source whence all our blessings flow ! 
And for these our souls shall raise 
Grateful vows and solemn praise. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 51 

6 Yet should rising whirlwinds tear 
From its stem the ripening ear ; 
Should the fig-tree's blasted shoot 
Drop her green, untimely fruit : 

7 Should thine altered hand restrain 
Th' early and the latter rain ; 
Blast each opening bud of joy, 
And the rising year destroy : 

8 Still to thee our souls shall raise 
Grateful vows and solemn praise ; 
And, when every blessing's flown, 
Love thee — for thyself alone. 



HYMN 53. S. M. 

Obligation to Gratitude and Praise. 

1 My Father and my King ! 
To thee my all I owe : 

Thy sovereign bounty is the spring, 
From whence my blessings flow. 

2 Thou ever good and kind ! 
A thousand reasons move, 

A thousand obligations bind 
My heart to grateful love. 

3 The creature of thy hand, 
On thee alone I live : 

My God ! thy benefits demand 
More praise than life can give. 



52 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part IT. 

4 O what can I impart, 
When all was thine before ? 

Thy love demands a thankful heart ; 
The gift, alas ! how poor ! 

5 Shall I withhold thy due ? 
And shall my passions rove ? 

Lord ! make me to thy service true, 
And fill me with thy love. 

6 O let thy grace inspire 

My soul with strength divine ; 
Let all my powers to thee aspire, 
And all my days be thine. 



HYMN 54. L. M. 

Thanks to God for Creation. 

1 Thou Power, by whose command I live ! 
The tribute of my praise receive : 

My being to thy love I owe, 

And all the joys that from it flow : 

2 Not many suns have formed the year, 
And rolled their courses round this sphere, 
Since thy kind eye my form surveyed, 
'Midst shapeless heaps of matter laid. 

3 Thy skill my native clay refined, 
Its particles in order joined ; 

With symmetry composed the whole, 
And stamped thine image on the soul ; 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 53 

4 A frame susceptible of joy, 

Nor force nor time shall e'er destroy ; 
And which, though nature claim my breath, 
Shall triumph o'er the sleep of death. 

5 To realms of bliss that frame will soar, 
When earth and skies shall be no more : 
O God ! in vain the voice essays 

For this best gift to speak thy praise. 

6 How shall my heart its sense reveal, 
Where all the power of words must fail ; 
O may it in my life appear, 

And each act speak my thanks sincere ! 



HYMN 55. L. 31. 

Giving- Thanks to God in all things. 

1 God of my life ! my thanks to thee 
Shall like thy gifts continual be : 

In constant streams thy bounty flows, 
Nor end nor interruption knows. 

2 From thee my comforts all arise, 

My numerous wants thy hand supplies, 
Nor can I, Lord, be ever poor, 
Who live on thine exhaustless store. 

3 If what I ask thy love denies, 

It is because thou'rt good and wise ; 
And ill.-,, which cause my heart to mourns 
Thou canst to real blessings turn, 
o* 



54 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

4 O deep upon my thankful breast 
Let all thy favours be imprest ; 
That I may never more forget 
The whole, or any single debt. 

5 Dispose me each revolving day 
For all thy gifts my praise to pay ; 
And let my life devoted be, 

My richest offering, Lord, to thee ! 



HYMN 56. C. M. 

Gratitude to God. 

1 W t en all thy mercies, O my God ; 

My rising soul surveys, 
Transported with the view, I 'm lost 
In wonder, love, and praise. 

2 Thy providence my life sustained, 

And all my wants redressed, 
When in the silent womb I lay, 
Or hung upon the breast. 

3 To all my weak complaints and cries 

Thy mercy lent an ear, 
Ere yet my feeble thoughts had learned 
To form themselves in prayer. 

4 Unnumbered comforts on my soul 

Thy tender care bestowed, 
Before my infant heart conceived 
From whom those comforts flowed. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 55 

5 When in the slippery paths of youth 

With heedless steps I ran, 
Thine arm, unseen, conveyed me safe, 
And led me up to man. 

6 Through hidden dangers, toils, and death, 

It gently cleared my way ; 
And through the pleasing snares of vice, 
More to be feared than they. 

7 When nature fails, and day and night 

Divide thy works no more ; 
My ever grateful heart, O Lord ! 
Thy mercy shall adore. 



HYMN 57. C. M. 

Gratitude to God. 

1 O how shall words with equal warmth 

The gratitude declare, 
That glows in my enraptured heart ! — 
But thou canst read it there. 

2 Thy bounteous hand with worldly bliss 

Hath made my cup run o'er ; 
And, in a kind and faithful friend, 
Hath doubled all my store. 

3 Ten thousand thousand precious gifts 

My daily thanks employ ; 
Nor is the least a cheerful heart, 
Which tastes those gifts with joy. 



56 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

4 When worn by sickness, oft hast thou 

With health renewed my face ; 
And, when in sin and sorrow sunk, 
Revived my soul with grace. 

5 Through every period of my life 

Thy goodness I ? 11 pursue ; 
And after death, in unknown worlds, 
The glorious theme renew. 

6 Through all eternity to thee 

A joyful song I '11 raise — 
For oh ! eternity alone 
Can utter all thy praise. 



HYMN 58. P. M. 

Gratitude for Consolation and Health. 

How vast is the tribute I owe 
Of gratitude, homage, and praise, 

To the giver of all I possess, 

The life and the length of my days ! 

When the sorrows I boded were come, 
I poured out my sighs and my tears ; 

And to him who alone can relieve, 

My soul breathed her vows and her 
prayers. 

When my heart throbbed with pain and 
alarm, 
When paleness my cheek overspread, 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 57 

When sickness pervaded my frame ; 
Then my soul on my Maker was staid. 

4 When death's awful image was nigh, 

And no mortal was able to save ; 
Thou didst brighten the valley of death, 
And illumine the gloom of the grave. 

5 In mercy thy presence dispels 

The shades of calamity's night, 
And turns the sad scene of despair 
To a morning of joy and delight. 

6 Great source of my comforts restored ! 

Thou healer and balm of my woes, 
Thou hope and desire of my soul ! 
On thy mercy I '11 ever repose. 

7 How boundless the gratitude due 

To thee, P thou God of my praise ! 
The fountain of all I possess, 

The life and the light of my days ! 



HYMN 59. L. M. 

The Bounties of Providence acknowledged. Mat. v. 4i 

1 Father of lights ! we sing thy name, 
Who kindlest up the lamp of day ; 
Wide as he spreads his golden flame, 
His beams thy power and love display. 

2 Fountain of good ! from thee proceeds, 
In copious drops, the genial rain, 



58 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part ft 

Which, o'er the hills and through the meads, 
Revives the grass, and swells the grain. 

3 Through the wide world thy bounties spread ; 
Yet millions of our guilty race, 

Though by thy daily bounty fed, 
Affront thy law, and spurn thy grace. 

4 Not so may our forgetful hearts 
CFerlook the tokens of thy care ; 
But what thy liberal hand imparts, 
Still own in praise, still ask in prayer. 

5 So shall our suns more grateful shine, 
And showers in sweeter drops shall fall, 
When all our hearts and lives are thine, 
And thou, O God ! enjoyed in all. 



HYMN 60. C. M. 

Gratitude for the unceasing Goodness of God. 

1 Father divine ! thy gracious power 

On every hand we see ; 
O may the blessings of each hour 
Lead all our thoughts to thee. 

2 If on the wings of morn we speed 

To earth's remotest bound, 
Thy hand will there our footsteps lead, 
Thine arm our path surround. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 59 

3 Thy power is in the ocean deeps, 

And reaches to the skies ; 
Thine eye of mercy never sleeps, 
Thy goodness never dies. 

4 From morn till noon, till latest eve, 

The hand of God we see ; 
And all the blessings we receive, 
Ceaseless proceed from thee. 

5 In all the various scenes of time, 

On thee our hopes depend ; 
In every age, in every clime, 
Our Father and our Friend. 



HYMN 61. L. M. 

Praise for temporal and spiritual Blessing's. Ps. ciii. 

1 Bless, O my soul ! the living God ; 
Call home my thoughts that rove abroad ; 
Let all the powers within me join 

In work and worship so divine. 

2 Bless, O my soul ! the God of grace ; 
His favours claim thy highest praise : 
Let not the wonders he hath wrought, 
Be lost in silence and forgot. 

3 The vices of the mind he heals, 

And sooths the pains which nature feels : 

Relieves our sicknesses and saves 

Our wasting lives from threatening graves. 



60 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

4 Our youth decayed his power renews, 
Each year new acts of mercy views ; 
And, while he present good supplies, 
Bids perfect bliss in prospect rise. 

5 The weak by lawless power opprest, 
May on his arm securely rest, 
Who will his justice wide display 

In the last great rewarding day. 

6 His power he showed by Moses' hands, 
And gave to Israel his commands ; 
But made his truth and mercy known 
To all the nations by his Son. 

7 Let the whole earth his power confess ; 
Let the whole earth adore his grace ; 
The Gentile with the Jew shall join 

In work and worship so divine. 



HYMN 62. L. M. 

The innumerable Mercies of God thankfully owned. 

1 With glad amazement, Lord ! I stand, 
Amidst the bounties of thy hand ; 
How numberless these bounties are, 
How rich, how various, and how fair ! 

2 But O what poor return I make ! 
What lifeless thanks I pay thee back! 
I own, with sorrow and with shame, 
My offerings scarce deserve the name. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 61 

3 To thee I consecrate my praise, 
And vow the remnant of my days ; 
Yet what at best can I pretend, 
Worthy such gifts from such a Friend ! 

4 In deep abasement, Lord ! I see 
My emptiness and poverty : 
Give me a likeness more divine, 
And make me worthier to be thine. 

5 Give me at length an angel's tongue, 
That heaven may echo with my song ; 
The theme, too great for time, shall be 
The joy of immortality. 



HYMN 63. C. M. 

Praise to God in Life and Death. 

1 Mv soul shall praise thee, O my God ! 

Through all my mortal days ; 
And to eternity prolong 

Thy vast, thy boundless praise. 

2 In each bright hour of peace and hope, 

Be this my sweet employ : 
Devotion heightens all my bliss, 
And sanctifies my joy. 

3 In all thy mercies may my soul 

A father's bounty see ; 
Nor let the gifts thy grace bestows, 
Estrange my heart from thee. 
6 



62 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

4 When gloomy care, or keen distress, 

Invades my throbbing breast, 
My tongue shall learn to speak thy praise, 
And sooth my pains to rest. 

5 Nor shall my tongue alone proclaim 

The honours of my God ; 
My life, with all my active powers, 
Shall spread thy praise abroad. 

6 Through every changing stage of life, 

Each bright, each clouded scene ; 
Give me a meek and humble mind, 
Still equal and serene. 

7 And though these lips shall cease to move, 

Though death shall close these eyes, 
Yet shall my soul to nobler heights 
Of joy and transport rise. 

8 Then shall my powers in endless strains 

Their grateful tribute pay : 
The theme demands an angel's tongue, 
And an eternal day. 



HYMN 64. L. M. 

God the Author of our Comforts and Hopes. Ps. cxvi. 8, 9. 

1 Great Source of life ! our souls confess 
The various riches of thy grace ; 
Crowned with thy mercy, we rejoice, 
And in thy praise exalt our voice. 



Tart II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. Go 

2 By thee the vault of heaven was spread : 
By thee, the earth's foundations laid ; 
And all the scenes of man's abode 
Proclaim a wise and gracious God. 

3 Thy quickening hand restores our breath. 
When trembling on the verge of death : 
Gently it wipes away our tears, 

And lengthens life to future years. 

1 Our lives are sacred to the Lord ; 
Kindled by him, by him restored : 
And, while our hours renew their race, 
May sin no more these hours disgrace ! 

5 So when, at length, by thee we 're led 
Through unknown regions of the dead, 
With hope triumphant may we move 
To scenes of nobler life above ! 



HYMN 05. C. M. 

The peculiar Goodness of God to his People. Ps. xxxi. 19. 

1 With pleasing wonder, Lord ! we view 

The bounties of thy grace ; 
How much bestowed, how much reserved 
For those that seek thy face. 

2 Thy liberal hand with worldly bliss 

Oft makes their cup run o'er ; 
And in the covenant of thy love 
They find diviner store. 



64 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part Hs 

3 Here mercy hides their numerous sins, 

Here grace their souls renews ; 
Here hope, and love, and joy, and peace 
Their heavenly beams diffuse. 

4 But O ! what treasures yet unknown 

Are stored in worlds to come ! 
If these th' enjoyments of the way. 
How happy is their home ! 

5 God to eternal glory call?, 

And leads the wondrous way 
To his own palace, where he reigns 
In uncreated day. 

6 Thus love through all our being flows:. 

An unexhausted stream ; 
And shall upon thy sacred mount 
Still be my ceaseless theme. 



HYMN 66. 61 C. M. 

The Love of God. 

1 My God ! thy boundless love I praise 
How bright on high its glories .blaze ! 

How sweetly bloom below ! 
It streams from thine eternal throne ; 
Through heaven its joys forever run, 

And o'er the earth they flow. 

2 ? Tis love that paints the purple morn. 
And bids the clouds, in air upborne. 

Their genial drops distil ; 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 65 

In every vernal beam it glows, 
And breathes in every gale that blows, 
And glides in every rill. 

3 It robes in cheerful green the ground, 
And pours its flowery beauties round, 

Whose sweets perfume the gale ; 
Its bounties richly spread the plain, 
The blushing fruit, the golden grain, 

And smile on every vale. 

4 But in thy word I see it shine 
With grace and glories more divine, 

Proclaiming sins forgiven ; 
There, faith, bright cherub, points the way 
To realms of everlasting day, 

And opens all her heaven. 

■ 

5 Then let the love that makes me blest, 
With cheerful praise inspire my breast, 

And ardent gratitude : 
And all my thoughts and passions tend 
To thee, my Father, and my Friend, 

My soul's eternal good. 



HYMN 67. L. M. 

Perpetual Praise. Ps. cxlvi. 2. 

1 God of my life ! through all its days 
My grateful powers shall sound thy praise; 

6* 



66 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

The song shall wake with opening light, 
And warble to the silent night. 

2 When anxious cares would break my rest, 
And griefs would tear my throbbing breast, 
Thy tuneful praises raised on high, 

Shall check the murmur and the sigh. 

3 When death o'er nature shall prevail, 
And all the powers of language fail, 

Joy through my swimming eyes shall break, 
And mean the thanks I cannot speak. 

4 But O ! when that blest morn is come, 
Which breaks the slumbers of the tomb, 
With what glad accents shall I rise 

To join the music of the skies ! 

5 Soon shall I learn th' exalted strains 
Which echo o'er the heavenly plains ; 
And emulate with joy unknown, 

The glowing seraphs round thy throne. 

6 ' Praise shall employ my nobler powers, 
'While immortality endures:' 

A work so sweet, a theme so high, 
Demands, and crowns eternity. 



HYMN 68. C. M. 

Adoration and Prayer to the Supreme Being-. 

1 While raptured saints adoring stand, 
And burning seraphs sing, 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 6' 

Trembling I wait thy just command, 
My Father, God, and King ! 

2 Thou source of everlasting good, 

Whose bounty flows to all ! 
Whose power restrains the swelling flood ; — 
O hear ! to thee I call. 

3 Thy presence fills unbounded space, 

Directs the reasoning mind : 
Through nature's various parts we trace 
Her God ; her God we find. 

4 Thy wisdom paints each springing flower, 

And shades the blushing green ; 
Thy goodness falls in every shower, 
In every shower is seen. 

5 Whene'er thy wisdom thinks it fit 

To shake this clay-built frame, 
Teach me with patience to submit, 
In faith to bless thy name. 

6 Let not the stream of partial ill 

My better thoughts betray, 
But truth and reason guide me still 
Along the heavenly way. 



HYMN 69. C. M. 

Prayer for spiritual Blessings. 

] To thee, O God ! my prayer ascends, 
But not for golden stores ; 



68 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part IL 

Nor covet I the brightest gems. 
That clothe the eastern shores : 

2 Nor that deluding, empty joy 

Men call a mighty name ; 
Nor greatness, with its pride and state, 
My restless thoughts inflame : 

3 Nor pleasure's fascinating charms 

My fond desires allure ; 
But nobler things than these, from thee, 
My wishes would secure. 

4 The faith and hope of things unseen 

My best affections move ; 
Thy light, thy favour, and thy smiles, 
Thine everlasting love : 

5 These are the blessings I desire ; 

Lord, be these blessings mine — 
And all the glories of the world 
I cheerfully resign. 



HYMN 70. 61. C. M. 

Heavenly W r isdom implored.- 

To thee, supreme, eternal mind, 
All-wise, all-perfect, ever kind, 

My thoughts direct their flight ; 
Wisdom 's thy gift, and all her force 
From thee derived, unchanging source 

Of intellectual light. 



Part II] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 69 

2 To me her better gilts impart, 
Each moral beauty of the heart 

By studious thought refined ; 
For wealth, the smiles of glad content, 
For power, its amplest, best extent, 

An empire o'er the mind. 

3 O send her sure, her steady ray 
To regulate my doubtful way 

Through life's perplexing road ; 
The mist of error to control, 
And, through its gloom, direct my soul 

To happiness and good. 

4 Beneath her clear discerning eye, 
The visionary shadows fly 

Of folly's painted show ; 
She sees, through every fair disguise, 
That all but virtue's solid joys 

Is vanity and wo. 



HYMN 71. C. M. 

Aspiration after the Christian Temper. 

Thou great and sacred Lord of all ! 

Of life the only spring ! 
Creator of unnumbered worlds ! 

Supreme, eternal king ! 

Drive from the confines of my heart 

Impenitence and pride ; 
Nor let me in forbidden paths 

With thoughtless sinners glide. 



70 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part It, 

3 Whate'er thine all-discerning eye 

Sees for thy creatures lit, 
I '11 bless the good, and to the ill 
Contentedly submit. 

4 With generous pleasure let me view 

The prosperous and the great ; 
Malignant hatred let me fly, 
And odious self-conceit. 

5 Let not despair, nor fell revenge, 

Be to my bosom known : 
Oh ! give me tears for others 5 woes, 
And patience for mine own. 

6 Feed me with necessary food ; 

I ask not wealth nor fame : 
Give me an eye to see thy works, 
A heart to bless thy name. 

7 Still let my days serenely pass 

Without remorse or care ; 
And growing holiness my soul 
For life's last hour prepare. 



HYMN 72. L. M. 

Devout Aspirations. 

Supreme and universal light ! 
Fountain of reason ! judge of right ! 
Parent of good ! whose blessings flow 
On all above, and all below : 



Part It.] THANKSGIVING AND PRAYEtt. 

2 Without whose kind, directing ray, 
In everlasting night we stray, 
From passion still to passion tost, 
And in a maze of error lost : 

3 Assist us, Lord ! to act, to be, 
What nature and thy laws decree ; 
Worthy that intellectual flame, 
Which from thy breathing spirit came. 

4 Our moral freedom to maintain, 
Bid passion serve, and reason reign, 
Self-poised and independent still 
On this world's varying good or ill. 

5 No slaves to profit, shame, or fear, 
O may our steadfast bosoms bear 
The stamp of heaven, an honest heart, 
Above the mean disguise of art ! 

6 May our expanded souls disclaim 
The narrow view, the selfish aim ; 
But with a christian zeal embrace 
Whatever is friendly to our race. 

7 O Father ! grace and virtue grant ; 
No more we wish, no more we want : 
To know, to serve thee, and to love, 
Is peace below, — is bliss above. 



OF GENERAL PBAJSE, [Part li 

HYMN 73. S. M. 

Virtuous Desires. Ps. xxv. 

1 O God ! thou just and kind, 
The erring mind instruct, 

And to the paths of righteousness 
Its wandering steps conduct. 

2 Do thou the humble guide, 
And teach the meek thy way ; 

Kindness and truth be shown to all, 
Who thee in truth obey. 

3 Give me the tender heart 
That mixes fear with love ! 

And lead me through whatever path 
Thy wisdom shall approve. 

4 O ! ever keep my soul 
From error, shame, and guilt : 

Nor suffer the fair hope to fail, 
Which on thy truth is built. 



HYMN 74. C. M. 

Spiritual Blessings implored. 

Fountain of blessing ! God of love ! 

To thee our hearts we raise ; 
Thine all-sustaining power we prove, 

And gladly sing thy praise. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 7o 

2 Thine, wholly thine, we long to be; 

Our sacrifice receive ; 
Made, and preserved, and saved by thee, 
To thee ourselves we give. 

3 Heaven- ward our every wish aspires ; 

For all thy mercy's store, 
The sole return thy love requires, 
Is, that we ask for more. 

4 For more we ask ; we open, Lord, 

Our hearts t' embrace thy wui ; 
Renew us by thy heavenly word, 
And from thy fulness, fill. 

5 O may we travel all the length 

Of the celestial road ; 
And come, reposing on thy strength, 
To see thy face, O God ! 



HYMN 75. C. M. 

Prayer for Divine Aid and Guidance. 

1 Eternal Source of light and thought ! 

Supremely good and wise ! 
To thee we bring our grateful vows, 
To thee lift up our eyes. 

2 Thine ever present power is felt 

Through nature's ample round ; 
In heaven, on earth, through air and skies, 
Thine energy is found. 
7 



74 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

3 This sacred influence richly grant 

To form our hearts anew ; 
O cleanse our souls from every sin^ 
And thy salvation show ! 

4 Father of lights ! thine aid dispense, 

To guide our doubtful way ; 
Thy truth shall scatter every cloud, 
And make a glorious day. 

5 Enlightened and sustained by thee, 

We '11 do and bear thy will ; 
Thy grace shall make each burden light, 
And every murmur still. 

6 O safely guide us by that grace, 

Through life's perplexing road, 
To pleasures which forever flow 
From thy right hand, O God ! 



HYMN 76. C. M. 

The Universal Prayer. 

1 Father of all ! whose cares extend 

To earth's remotest shore, 
From every clime let praise ascend, 
And every age adore. 

2 Thou great first Cause, least understood, 

Who all my sense confined 
To know but this — that thou art good. 
And that myself am blind. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 75 

3 What conscience dictates to be done, 

Or warns me not to do ; 
This, teach me more than hell to shun. 
That, more than heaven pursue. 

4 Save me alike from foolish pride, 

Or impious discontent, 
At aught thy wisdom has denied, 
Or aught thy goodness lent. 

5 Teach me to feel another's wo, 

To hide the fault I see ; 

That mercy I to others show, 

That mercy show to me. 

6 To thee, whose temple is all space. 

Whose altar, earth, sea, skies, 
One chorus let all beings raise, 
All nature's incense rise ! 



HYMN 77. C. M. 

The Universal Prayer. 

1 O Lord ! to earth's contracted span 

Thy love I would not bound ; 
Or think thee kind alone to man, 
When thousand worlds are round. 

2 Let not this weak, unknowing hand 

Presume thy bolts to throw ; 
And deal damnation round the land, 
On each 1 judge thy foe. 



76 OF GENERAL PRAISE, [Part II. 

3 If I am right, thy grace impart 

Still in the right to stay ; 
If I am wrong, O teach my heart 
To find that better way. 

4 Mean though I am, not wholly so, 

Since quickened by thy breath ; 
O lead me, wheresoe'er I go, 

Through this day's life, or death. 

5 This day be bread and peace my lot ; — 

But all beneath the sun, 
Thou know'st if best bestowed or not ; 
So let thy will be done. 



HYMN 78. C. M. 

Paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer. 

1 Father in heaven ! thy sacred name 

In hallowed strains be sung ; 
Thy kingdom spread o'er all the earth : 
Thy praise fill every tongue. 

2 By happy spirits round thy throne, 

As thy commands are done.; 
So be thy perfect will obeyed 
By all beneath the sun. 

3 Our numerous wants are known to thee, 

Who canst alone supply ; 
O grant, each day, our daily bread, 
Nor other good deny. 



Part II.] THANKSGIVING, AND PRAYER. 77 

4 Forgive our sins, as we forgive 

The wrongs that others do ; 
Nor let temptations press around, 
Lest we those sins renew. 

5 Thou art our safety and defence, 

When dangers threatening stand ; 
O turn aside impending ills 
With thy Almighty hand. 

6 Thy sacred name we thus adore 

With cheerful, humble mind ; 
And praise thy goodness, power, and truth, 
Eternal, unconfined ! 



PART III. 

FOR PARTICULAR SUBJECTS OF DISCOURSES, 

HYMN 79. L. M. 

The Voice of God in his Works. Ps. xix. 4 — 6. 

The spacious firmament on high, 

With all the blue ethereal sky, 

And spangled heavens, a shining frame, 

Their great original proclaim. 

Th' unwearied sun, from day to day, 

Doth his Creator's power display ; 

And publishes to every land 

The work of an Almighty hand. 

2 Soon as the evening shades prevail, 
The moon takes up the wondrous tale ; 
And nightly to the listening earth 
Repeats the story of her birth : 

Whilst all the stars which round her burn, 
And all the planets in their turn, 
Confirm the tidings as they roll, 
And spread the truth from pole to pole. 

3 What though, in solemn silence, all 
Move round this dark terrestrial ball ; 
What though no real voice nor sound 
Amidst their radiant orbs be found : 



Part III.] THE DIVINE CHARACTER. 79 

In reason's ear they all rejoice, 
And utter forth a glorious voice ; 
Forever singing as they shine — 
" The hand that made us is divine.' 5 



HYMN 80. L. M. 

The Voice of Nature. 

1 There is a God, all nature speaks, 
Through earth, and air, and seas, and skies ; 
See, from the clouds his glory breaks, 
When the first beams of morning rise ! 

2 The rising sun, serenely bright 

O'er the wide world's extended frame 
Inscribes, in characters of light, 
His mighty Maker's glorious name. 

3 Diffusing life, his influence spreads, 
And health and plenty smile around ; 
And fruitful fields and verdant meads, 
Are with a thousand blessings crowned. 

4 Almighty goodness, power divine, 

The hills, and vales, and groves display ; 
And bless the hand that made them shine 
With various charms profusely gay. 

5 The flowery tribes all blooming rise 
Above the faint attempts of art : 
Their bright inimitable dyes 
Speak sweet conviction to the heart. 



80 THE DIVINE CHARACTER [Part III. 

6 What curious mind that roams abroad, 
And views creation's wonders o'er, 
Can fail to own a present God, 
To bow before him and adore ? 



HYMN 81. L. M. 

The one living and true God. Ps. lxxxvi. 

1 Eternal God ! Almighty cause 

Of earth, and seas, and worlds unknown ! 
All things are subject to thy laws ; 
All things depend on thee alone. 

2 Thy glorious being singly stands, 
Of all within itself possest ; 

By none controlled in thy commands, 
And in thyself completely blest. 

3 Worship to thee alone belongs ; 
Worship to thee alone we give ; 

Thine be our hearts, and thine our songs, 
And to thy glory we would live. 

4 Spread thy great name through every land, 
All idol deities dethrone : 

Subdue the world to thy command, 
And reign unrivalled, God alone. 



HYMN 82. P. M. 

"Jehovah, our God, is one." Mark xii. 29* 

1 Thou, God, who reign'st alone 
O'er earth, and sea, and sky, 



Part III ] AND PERFECTIONS. 81 

Let man with praises own, 
And sound thy honours high. 

2 Thee all in heaven above, 

Thee all on earth below, 
Th' exhaustless source of love, 
The great Creator know. 

3 God formed the living frame, 

He gave the reasoning mind ; — * 
Then only he may claim 
The worship of mankind. 

4 So taught thine only son, 

Blest messenger of grace ! 
Th' eternal is but one, 
No second holds his place. 



HYMN 83. L. M. 

To the unknown God. 

1 Great God ! in vain man's narrow view 
Attempts to look thy nature through : 
Our laboring powers with reverence own. 
Thy glories never can be known. 

2 Not the high seraph's mighty thought, 
Who countless years his God has sought, 
Such wondrous height or depth can find, 
Or fully trace thy boundless mind. 

3 And yet thy kindness deigns to show 
Enough for mortal minds to know : 



82 THE DIVINE CHARACTER [Part III. 

While wisdom, goodness, power divine, 
Through all thy works and eonduct shine. 

4 O ! may our souls with rapture trace 
Thy works of nature and of grace ; 
Explore thy sacred truth, and still 
Press on to know and do thy will. 



HYMN 84. L. M. 

The Divine Perfections above our Comprehension. 
Job xi & xxvi. 

1 Can creatures to perfection find 
Th' eternal, uncreated mind ? 

Or can the largest stretch of thought 
Measure and search his nature out ? 

2 'Tis high as heaven, 'tis deep as hell, 
And what can mortals know or tell ? 
His glory spreads through all the sky, 
And all the shining worlds on high. 

3 He frowns, and darkness veils the moon ; 
The fainting sun grows dim at noon ; 
The pillars of heaven's starry roof 
Tremble and start at his reproof. 

4 These are a portion of his ways ; 
But who shall utter all his praise ! 
Who can endure his light, or stand 
To hear the thunders of his hand ! 



Part III.] AND PERFECTIONS. 83 

HYMN 85. L. M. 

The Majesty of God. Isa. xl. 15, 16, 17. 

1 Ye weak inhabitants of clay, 
Ye trifling insects of a day ! 

Low in your native dust bow down 
Before tli' Eternal's awful throne. 

2 With trembling heart, with solemn eye, 
Behold Jehovah seated high ; 

And search what worthy sacrifice 

Your hands can gwe, your thoughts devise. 

3 Let Lebanon her cedars bring 

To blaze before the sovereign King ; 
And all the beasts, that on it feed, 
As victims at his altar bleed. 

4 Loud let ten thousand trumpets sound, 
And call remotest nations round, 
Assembled on the crowded plains, 
Princes and people, kings and swains. 

5 Joined with the living, let the dead, 
Rising, the face of earth o'erspread ; 
And while his praise unites their tongues, 
Let angels echo back the songs. 

The drop that from the bucket falls, 
The dust that hangs upon the scales, 
Is more to sky, and earth, and sea, 
Than all this pomp, great God ! to thee. 



84 THE DIVINE CHARACTER [Paut III. 

HYMN 86. C. M. 

God's Eternal Dominion. 

1 Great God ! how infinite art thou ! 

How frail and helpless we ; 
r Let the whole race of creatures bow, 
And pay their praise to thee. 

2 Thy throne eternal ages stood, 

Ere seas or stars were made ; 
Thcu art the ever-living God, 
, Were all the nations dead. 

3 Nature and time all open lie 

To thine immense survey, 
From the formation of the sky, 
To the last awful day. 

4 Eternity, with all its years, 

Stands present to thy view ; 
To thee there \s nothing old appears^ 
Great God, there 's nothing new. 

5 Our lives through varying scenes are drawn, 

And vexed with trifling cares, 
While thine eternal thought moves on 
Thine undisturbed affairs. 

6 Great God ! how infinite art thou ! 

How frail and helpless we ! 
Let the whole race of creatures bow. 
And pay their praise to thee. 



Part III.] AND PERFECTIONS. 85 

HYMN 37. L. M. 

God Eternal and Immutable. 

1 ALL-powerful, self-existent God, 
Who all creation dost sustain ! 
Thou wast, and art, and art to come, 
And everlasting is thy reign ! 

2 Fixed and eternal as thy days, 
Each glorious attribute divine, 
Through ages infinite, shall still 
With undiminished lustre shine. 

3 Fountain of being ! Source of good ! 
Immutable thou dost remain ! 

Nor can the shadow of a change 
Obscure the glories of thy reign. 

4 Nature her order shall reverse, 
Revolving seasons cease their round ; 
Nor spring appear with blooming pride, 
Nor autumn be with plenty crowned ; 

5 Yon shining orbs forget their course, 
The sun his destined path forsake, 
And burning desolation mark 
Amid the world his devious track : 

6 Earth may with all her powers dissolve, 
If such the great Creator's wall : 

But thou forever art the same, 
I am is thy memorial still. 
8 



36 THE DIVIiNE CHARACTER [Part IH. 

HYMN 83. ios M. 

The unrivalled Power and Dominion of God. 

1 Thou, God! who with an absolute command 
Sway'st the broad ocean and the steadfast 

land ; 
Who reign'st on high, unbounded and alone, 
While all creation hangs upon thy throne ; 

2 This earthly globe, the creature of a day, 
Tho' built by thy right hand, must pass away ; 
And long oblivion creep o'er mortal things* 
The fate of empires and the pride of kings : 

3 The sun himself, with gathering clouds op- 

prest, 
Shall in his silent, dark pavilion rest ; 
His golden urn shall break, and useless lie ; 
Amid the common ruins of the sky ; 

4 But fixed, O God ! forever stands thy 

throne : 
Jehovah reigns, a universe alone : 
Th' eternal fire that feeds each vital flame, 
Collected, or diffused, is still the same. 

5 But oh ! our highest notes the theme debase, 
And silence is our least injurious praise : 
Cease, cease your songs, the daring flight 

control ; 
Revere him in the stillness of the soul. 



Part III.] AND PERFECTIONS. 87 

HYMN 89. L. M. 

God's universal Knowledge and Presence. Ps. cxxxis*. 

1 Father of all ! omniscient mind ! 
Thy wisdom who can comprehend ? 
Its highest point what eye can find. 
Or to its lowest depths descend ? 

2 What cavern deep, what hill sublime. 
Beyond thy reach, shall J pursue ? 
What dark recess, what distant clime, 
Shall hide me from thy boundless view f 

3 If up to heaven's ethereal height, 
Thy prospect to elude, I rise ; 

In splendour there, supremely bright, 
Thy presence shall my sight surprise, 

4 Thee, mighty God ! my wondering soul, 
Thee, all her conscious powers adore ; 
Whose being circumscribes the whole, 
Whose eyes the universe explore. 

5 Thine essence fills this breathing frame, 
It glows in every vital part ; 

Lights up my soul with livelier flame, 
And feeds with life my beating heart. 

6 To thee from whom my being came, 
Whose smile is all the heaven I know, 
Inspired with this exalted theme, 

To thee my grateful strains shall flow. 



88 THE DIVINE CHARACTER [Part III, 

HYMN 90. L. M. 

The Ever-present, All-seeing God. Ps. cxxxix. 

1 Lord ! thou hast searched and seen me 

through : 
Thine eye commands, with piercing view, 
My waking and my sleeping hours, 
My heart and flesh, with all their powers. 

2 My thoughts, before they are my own, 
Are to my God distinctly known : 

He knows the words I mean to speak* 
Ere from my opening lips they break. 

3 Within thy circling power I stand ; 
On every side I find thy hand : 
Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, 

I am surrounded still with God. 

4 Amazing knowledge, vast and great ! 
What large extent ! what lofty height \ 
My soul, with all the powers I boast, 
Is in the boundless prospect lost. 

5 Could I so false, so faithless prove, 
To quit thy service and thy love, 
Where, Lord, could I thy influence shun, 
Or whither from thy presence run ? 

G Could I the wings of morning gain, 
And fiy beyond the western main, 
Thy swifter hand would first arrive, 
And there arrest the fugitive. 



Part III-l AND PERFECTIONS. 89 

? Or should I try to shun thy sight 
Beneath the spreading veil of night, 
One glance of thine, one piercing ray, 
Would kindle darkness into day. 

8 O may these thoughts possess my breast, 
Where'er I rove, where'er I rest ! 
Nor let my weaker passions dare 
Consent to sin ; for God is there. 



HYMN 91. C. M. 

Assurance of the Divine Presence. Isa. xli. 10. 

1 And art thou with us, gracious Lord ! 

To dissipate our fear ! 
Dost thou proclaim thyself our God, 
Our God forever near? 

2 Doth thy right hand which formed the earth 

And bears up all the skies, 
Stretch from on high its friendly aid, 
When dangers round us rise ? 

3 And wilt thou lead our weary souls 

To that delightful scene, 
Where rivers of salvation flow 
Through pastures ever green ? 

4 On thy support our souls shall lean, 

And banish every care ; 
The gloomy vale of death will smile, 
If God be with us there. 
8* 



90 THE DIVINE CHARACTER [Part III. 

5 While we bis gracious succour prove, 
'Midst all our various ways, 
The darkest shades through which we pass. 
Shall echo with his praise. 



HYMN 92. C. M. 

Universal Presence of God. 

1 My heart and all my ways, O God ! 

By thee are searched and seen ; 
My outward acts thine eye observes, 
My secret thoughts within. 

2 Attendant on my steps, all day 

Thy providence I see ; 
And in the solitude of night 
I 'm present still with thee. 

3 No spot the boundless realms of space 

Whence thou art absent, know ; 
In heaven thou reign'st a glorious King, 
An awful Judge below. 

4 Goodness, and majesty, and power, 

Through all thy works are shown ; 
Richly displayed in nature's frame, 
And richly in my own. 

5 To all my parts their place and use 

Thy wisdom had assigned, 
Ere yet those parts a being had, 
But in thy forming mind. 



Fart III.] AND PERFECTIONS. 91 

6 O ! if within my thoughtless heart 

Thou aught should'st disapprove, 
The secret evil bring to light, 
And by thy grace remove. 

7 If e'er my ways have been perverse, 

Or foolish in thy view, 
Recall my steps to thy commands, 
And form my life anew. 



HYMN 93. C. M. 

The universal Presence and Providence of God. 

1 Great God, how vast is thine abode ! 

Mysterious are thy ways! 
Unseen thy footsteps in the air, 
And trackless in the seas. 

2 Yet the whole peopled world bespeaks 

Thy being and thy power, 
'Mid the resplendent blaze of day, 
And awful midnight hour. 

3 Nor all the peopled world alone, 

Rich fields and verdant plains, 
But lonely wilds by man untrod, 
Where silent horror reigns. 

4 The howling wind, the beating rain, 

The sea's tumultuous roar, 
These in tremendous concert joined, 
Proclaim thy boundless power. 



92 THE DIVINE CHARACTER [Part III. 

5 Through all creation's widest range 
The hand of heaven is near : 
Where'er 1 wander in the world, 
Lo ! God is present there. 



HYMN 94. C. M. 

Universal Goodness of God. 

1 Lord ! thou art good : all nature shows 

Its mighty Author kind : 
Thy bounty through creation flows, 
Full, free, and unconfined. 

2 The whole, and every part proclaims 

Thine infinite good will ; 
It shines in stars, and flows in streams, 
And blooms on every hill. 

3 We view it o'er the spreading main, 

And heavens which spread more wide ; 
It drops in gentle show 7 ers of rain, 
And rolls in every tide. 

4 Long hath it been diffused abroad, 

Through ages past and gone; 
Nor ever can exhausted be, 
But still keeps flowing on. 

5 Through the vast whole it pours supplies, 

Spreads joy through every part : 
O may such love attract my eyes. 
And captivate my heart ! 



Part HI.] AND PERFECTIONS. 93 

6 My highest admiration raise, 
My best affections move ! 
Employ my tongue in songs of praise, 
And fill my heart with love ! 



HYMN 95. L. M. 

The Divine Goodness. Ps. xxxiv. 8, 9. 

1 Triumphant, Lord! thy goodness reigns 
Through all the wide celestial plains ; 
And its full streams redundant flow, 
Down to th' abodes of men below. 

2 Through nature's works thy glories shine ; 
The cares of providence are thine : 

And thou hast raised within our frame 
A fairer temple to thy name. 

3 O give to every human heart, 

To taste and feel how good thou art ; 
With grateful love, and reverent fear, 
To know how blest thy children are. 

4 Let nature burst into a song : 

Ye echoing hills, the notes prolong ; 
Earth, seas, and stars, your anthems raise, 
All vocal with your Maker's praise ! 

5 Join, O my soul ! the general song, 
To thee its sweetest notes belong ; 
Blest above all by love divine, 

To praise is eminently thine. 



94 THE DIVINE CHARACTER [Part III. 

HYMN 9G. C. M. 

The Divine Foreknowledge and Decrees. 

1 Keep silence, all created things, 

And own your Maker's nod ; 
My soul stands trembling while she sings 
The honours of her God ! 

2 Life, death, and hell, and worlds unknown, 

Hang on his firm decree ; 
He sits on no precarious throne, 
Nor borrows leave to be. 

3 Unnumbered ages ere the skies 

Were into motion brought, 
Whatever through endless years should rise,, 
Stood present to his thought. 

4 His mighty voice bade ancient night 

Her endless realms resign ; 
And lo ! ten thousand globes of light 
In fields of azure shine. 

5 There 's not a sparrow nor a worm 

Overlooked in his decrees : 

He raises monarchs to a throne. 

Or sinks with equal ease. 

6 If light attend the course we go, 

'Tis he provides the rays ; 
And 'tis his hand that hides the sun, 
If darkness cloud our days. 

7 Trusting thy wisdom, God of love ! 

We would not wish to know 



Part III.] AND PERFECTIONS. 95 

What in the book of thy decrees 
Awaits us here below. 

3 Be this alone our fervent prayer ; 
Whatever our lot shall be, 
Or joys or sorrows may they form 
Our souls for heaven, and thee ! 



HYMN 97. C. M. 

God the Creator. Gen. i. 

1 O Lord, how excellent thy name ! 

How glorious to behold, 
Engraven fair on all thy works 
In characters of gold ! 

2 On heaven's immeasurable face, 

In lines immensely great ; 
In small, on every leaf and flower, 
Creator-God is writ. 

3 By his almighty word at first 

The arch of heaven was reared ; 
And all the beauteous host of light 
At his command appeared. 

4 Above the ocean, dark and wild, 

Arose the swelling land ; 
And raging waves in narrower bounds 
Obey the high command. 

5 With herbs, and plants, and fruitful trees, 

He crowned the new formed earth; 



06 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE [Part III. 

And to the various brutal tribes 
Ordained their wondrous birth. 

6 Then man, the last and noblest work 

Of all this nether frame, 
With the first vital breath he drew, 
Confessed from whence he came. 

7 Let earth, and all that dwell therein, 

Before him trembling stand ; 
Who spake ! aud all creation rose 
Beneath his forming hand. 



HYMN 98. C. M. 

Constancy of the Course of Nature. 

The starry hosts in order move, 

Observant of their bounds ; 
And every year, and every day, 

The sun repeats his rounds. 

While generations rise and fall, 

Immortal is the race ; 
And time may shift the fading scenes, 

But not the earth displace. 

What winter's withering breath destroys, 
The following spring supplies ; 

And age, in vigorous youth renewed, 
Beholds itself, and dies. 

The life by thee preserved, O God ! 
Shall all be spent for thee ; 



Part III.] AND GOVERNMENT. 97 

And flowing bear thy praise along 
To vast eternity. 



HYMN 99. L. M. 

God the Source of Life to the whole Creation. Ps. civ. 

1 How vast thy works, Almighty Lord ! 
All nature rests upon thy word ! 
Thy glories in the heavens we see, 
The spacious earth is full of thee. 

2 The countless tribes of creatures stand, 
Waiting their portion from thy hand : 
And while they take their various food, 
Their cheerful looks pronounce thee good, 

3 If thou the vital air deny, 
Behold them sicken, faint, and die ; 
Dust to its kindred dust returns, 

And earth her ruined offspring mourns. 

4 But soon thy breath her loss supplies : 
She sees a new-born race arise, 
And, o'er her regions scattered wide, 
The blessings of thy hand divide. 

5 To God in joyful strains my tongue 
Shall pour the tributary song ! 

And long as breath inspires my frame, 
The wonders of his love proclaim. 
9 



98 THE DIVINE PROVIEENCE [Part III. 

HYMN 100. C. M. 

God our constant Benefactor. 

1 Thou great Creator, Father, Lord ! 

Kind guardian of my days ! 

Thy mercies let my heart record 

In songs of grateful praise. 

2 In life's first dawn my tender frame 

Was thine indulgent care, 
Long ere I could pronounce thy name, 
Or breathe the infant prayer. 

3 When reason with my stature grew, 

How weak her brightest ray ! 

How little of my God I knew ! 

How apt from thee to stray ! 

4 What countless blessings round me shone, 

Where'er I turned mine eye ! 
How many past almost unknown, 
Or unregarded, by ! 

5 Around my path what dangers rose ! 

What snares o'erspread my road ! 
No power could guard me from my foes, 
But my preserver, God. 

6 When life hung trembling on a breath, 

'T was thine unceasing love 
That saved me from impending death, 
And bade my fears remove. 



Part III.] AND GOVERNMENT. 99 

7 Each rolling year new favours brought 

From thine exhaustless store ; 
But ah ! in vain my labouring thought 
Would count thy mercies o'er. 

8 And when this mortal frame decays, 

And every weakness dies, 
Perfect, O God ! thy wondrous grace, 
And raise me to the skies. 



HYMN 101. L. M. 

Dependence of all Creatures on Providence. 

1 O Lord of earth, and seas, and skies ! 
Thy wealth the needy world supplies ; 
All that is good thou wilt impart, 
And all impending ill avert. 

2 Supplied from thine unbounded store, 
How much we owe ; yet need we more 
Still on that care our hopes depend, 
Which will to every want extend. 

3 What though alarms our peace invader 
Our refuge is beneath thy shade; 

Our trust in thine Almighty love 
Bids every groundless fear remove. 

4 Nor to the human race alone, 

Is thy paternal goodness shown ; 
The tribes of earth, and sea, and air, 
Partake the universal care. 



100 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE [Part III. 

5 Not e'en a sparrow yields its breath, 
Till God permit the stroke of death : 
He hears the ravens when they call, 
The Father and the Friend of all. 



HYMN 102. C. M. 

Divine Providence, and the Folly of Self-dependence. 

1 God reigns ; events in order flow, 

Man's industry to guide ; 

But in a different channel go, 

To humble human pride. 

2 The swift not always, in the race, 

Shall win the crowning prize ; 
Not always wealth and honour grace 
The labours of the wise. 

3 Ye crafty, scheme your winding way, 

God shall confound your skill ; 
Know, time and accident obey 
His all-directing will. 

4 Fond mortals do themselves beguile, 

When on themselves they rest ; 
Blind is their wisdom, vain their toil. 
By thee, O Lord, unblessed ! 

5 Evil and good before thee stand, 

Their mission to perform : 
The sun shines bright at thy command : 
Thy hand directs the storm. 



Part III.] AND GOVERNMENT. 101 

6 In all our ways, we humbly own 
Thy providential power ; 
Entrusting to thy care alone 
The lot of every hour. 



HYMN 103. 6 7. L. M. 

God our Shepherd. Ps. xxiii. 

L The Lord my pasture shall prepare, 
And feed me with a shepherd's care ; 
His presence shall my wants supply, 
And guard me with a watchful eye : 
My noon-day walks he shall attend, 
And all my midnight hours defend. 

I When in the sultry glebe I faint, 
Or on the thirsty mountain pant ; 
To fertile vales and dewy meads 
My weary, wandering steps he leads ; 
Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow, 
Amid f, ,e verdant landscape flow. 

y > Tlr dgh in a bare and rugged way, 
Through devious, lonely wilds I stray, 
Thy bounty shall my pains beguile : 
The barren wilderness shall smile, 
W T ith sudden greens and herbage crowned, 
And streams shall murmur all around, 

1 Though in the paths of death I tread , 
With gloomy horrors overspread, 
My steadfast heart shall fear no ill ; 
For thou, O Lord ! art with me still ; 

9* 



\ 



102 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE [Part III. 

Thy friendly crook shall give me aid, 
And guide me through the dreadful shade. 



HYMN 104. C. M, 

God every where the Refuge of his Servants. 

1 How are thy servants blest, O LoRd ! 

How sure is their defence ! 
Eternal wisdom is their guide, 
Their help, omnipotence. 

2 In foreign realms, and lands remote, 

Supported by thy care, 
They pass unhurt through burning climes. 
And breathe in tainted air. 

3 Thy mercy sweetens every soil, 

Makes every region please ; 
The hoary, frozen hills it warms, 
And smooths the boisterous s<^as. 

4 Though by the dreadful tempest toss^ d 

High on the broken wave, 
They know thou art not slow to hear, - 
Nor impotent to save. 

5 The storm is laid, the winds retire 

Obedient to thy will ; 
The sea, that roars at thy command, 
At thy command is still. 



Part III.] AND GOVERNMENT. 103 

6 From all our griefs and straits, O Lord ! 

Thy mercy sets us free, 
While in the confidence of prayer 
Our hearts take hold on thee. 

7 In midst of dangers, fears, and death, 

Thy goodness we '11 adore ; 
And praise thee for thy mercies past, 
And humbly hope for more. 

8 Our lives, while thou preserv'st our lives, 

Thy sacrifice shall be ; 
And, O may death, when death shall come, 
Unite our souls to thee ! 



HYMN 105. L. M. 

Man's Dependence on God. 

1 Through all the various shifting scene 
Of life's mistaken ill or good. 

Thy hand, O God ! conducts unseen 
The beautiful vicissitude. 

2 Thou givest with paternal care, 
Howe'er unjustly we complain, 
To all their necessary share 

Of joy and sorrow, health and pain. 

3 Trust we to youth, or friends, or power ? 
Fix we on this terrestrial ball ? 

When most secure, the coming hour, 
If thou seest fit, may blast them all. 



104 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE [Part III. 

4 All things on earth, and all in heaven, 
On thine eternal will depend ; 

And all for greater good were given, 
Would man pursue th' appointed end. 

5 Be this my care ! — to all beside 
Indifferent let my wishes be ; 
Passion be calm, and dumb be pride, 
And fixed my soul, great God ! on thee. 



HYMN 106. L. M. 

Equity of the Divine Dispensations. 

1 Who, gracious Father ! shall complain 
Under thy mild and equal reign ? 
Who does a weight of duty share, 
More than his aids and powers can bear ? 

2 With differing climes, and differing lands, 
With fertile plains, and barren sands, 
Thy hand hath framed this earthly round. 
And set each nation in its bound. 

3 Varied alike, thy moral ray • 
Here sheds a full, there fainter day ; 
The God of all, unkind to none, 

To all the path of life has shown. 

4 O the abounding grace which brought 
To us the words by Jesus taught ! 

So blest and with such hopes inspired, 
How much is given, how much required ! 



Part III.] AND GOVERNMENT. 105 

HYMN 107. C. M. 

God no Respecter of Persons. 

1 With eye impartial, heaven's high King 

Surveys each human tribe ; 
No earthly pomp thy eyes can charm. 
Nor wealth thy favour bribe. 

2 The rich and poor, of equal clay 

Thy powerful hand did frame ; 
All souls are thine, and thee alike 
Their common Parent claim. 

*3 Thou oft dost visit in thy love 
The captive's lonely cell ; 
And with the penitent who mourns, 
'T is thy delight to dwell : 

4 The downcast spirit to revive, 

The sorrowful to cheer ; 
And from the bed of dust, to raise 
The man of heart sincere. 

5 With thee, dwells no relentless wrath 

Against the human race : 
The souls which thou hast formed, shall find 
A refuge in thy grace. 



HYMN 108. C. M. 

The Mystery and Renignity of Providence. 

1 God moves in a mysterious way. 
His wonders to perform : 



106 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE [Part 111. 

He plants his footsteps in the sea, 
And rides upon the storm. 

2 Deep in unfathomable mines 

Of never-failing skill, 
He treasures up his great designs, 
And works his sovereign will. 

3 Ye fearful saints ! fresh courage take : 

The clouds ye so much dread, 
Are big with mercy, and will break 
In blessings on your head. 

4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, 

But trust him for his grace : 
Behind a frowning providence 
He hides a smiling face. 

5 His purposes will ripen fast, 

Unfolding every hour : 
The bud may have a bitter taste, 
But sweet will be the flower. 

6 Blind unbelief is sure to err, 

And scan his work in vain : 
God is his own interpreter, 
And he will make it plain. 



HYMN 109. L. M. 

Faith in God in the Darkness of Providence. 

1 Lord ! we adore thy vast designs, 
Th ? obscure abyss of providence, — 



Part III.] AND GOVERNMENT. 107 

Too deep to sound with mortal lines, 
Too dark to view with feeble sense. 

2 Now clouds obscure thine awful face, 
And gathering darkness veils thy smile, 
Yet through the clouds we see thy grace, 
And trust in thy compassion still. 

3 Through every scene of deep distress, 
We walk by faith and not by sight ; 
Faith guides us in the wilderness, 
And cheers the gloom of darkest night. 

4 Father ! if thou w 7 ith lifted rod 
Resolve to scourge us here below, 
Still may we lean on thee, our God, 
And may thine arm support us through. 



HYMN 110. S. M. 

Confidence in the Divine Government. 

1 Give to the winds thy fears ; 
Hope and be undismayed ; 

God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears. 
He shall lift up thy head. 

2 Through waves, and clouds, and storms 
He gently clears thy way ; 

Wait thou his time, so shall this night 
Soon end in joyous day. 



108 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE [Part IH. 

3 What though thou rulest not ; 
Yet heaven, and earth, and hell 

Proclaim, God sitteth on the throne, 
And ruleth all things well. 

4 Thou seest our weakness, Lord ; 
Our hearts are known to thee ; 

O lift thou up the sinking head, 
Confirm the feeble knee. 

5 To each thou dost divide 
His lot of good and ill ; 

Nor this too great, nor that too small, 
Ordained by heaven's high will. 

6 Let man conform his mind 
To every changing state ; 

Rejoicing now, and now resigned, 
And the great issue wait. 

7 Hopeful and humble take 
Thy evil* and thy good ; 

Nor by presumption nor despair, 
Weak mortal, be subdued. 



HYMN 111. C. M. 

The Vicissitudes of Providence. 

1 The gifts, indulgent heaven bestows, 
Are variously conveyed ; 
The human mind, like nature, knows 
Alternate light and shade. 



PartIIL] and government. 109 

2 While changing aspects all things wear, 

Can we expect to find 
Unclouded sunshine all the year, 
Or constant peace of mind ? 

3 More gaily smiles the blooming spring, 

When wintry storms are o'er ; 
Retreating sorrow thus may bring 
Delights unknown before. 

4 Then, Christian ! send thy fears away, 

Nor sink in gloomy care ; 
Though clouds o'erspread the scene to day, 
To-morrow may be fair. 



HYMN 112. L. M. 

God the Protector of Innocence. Ps. x. 

1 What eye like thine, Eternal Sire ! 
Through sin's obscurest depths inquire ? 
What hand, like thine, on virtue's foes 
The needful judgments can impose ? 

2 The meek observer of thy laws 

To thee commits his injured cause : 
In thee, each anxious fear resigned, 
The fatherless a father find. 

3 Thine is the throne ; beneath thy reign, 
Thou sovereign King ! the tribes profane 
Behold their dreams of conquest o'er, 
And vanish, to be seen no more. 

10 



110 THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. [Part III. 

4 5 T is thine the orphan's cheek to dry, 
The guiltless sufferer's cause to try ; 
To rein each earth-born tyrant's will, 
And bid the sons of pride be still. 



HYMN 113. C. M> 

" God is our Refuge and Strength." Ps. xlvi. 

1 On God supreme our hope depends, 

Whose omnipresent sight 
E'en to the pathless realms extends 
Of uncreated night. 

2 Plunged in th' abyss of deep distress, 

To him we raised our cry ; 
His mercy made our sorrows cease, 
And filled our tongues with joy. 

3 Though earth her ancient seat forsake, 

By pangs convulsive torn, 
Though her self-balanced fabric shake. 
And ruined nature mourn ; 

4 Though hills be in the ocean lost, 

With all their trembling load ; 
No fear shall e'er disturb the just, 
Or shake his trust in God. 

5 Nations remote and realms unknown 

In vain resist his sway ; 
For lo ! Jehovah's voice is shown, 
And earth shall melt away. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. HI 

6 Let war's devouring surges rise, 
And swell on every side ; 
The Lord of hosts our safeguard is, 
And Jacob's God our guide. 



HYMN 114. L. M. 

God the Intellectual Light. 2 Cor. iv. 6. 

1 Praise to the Lord of boundless might, 
With uncreated glories bright ! 

His presence gilds the worlds above ; 
Th' unchanging source of light and love. 

2 Our rising earth his eye beheld, 
When in substantial darkness veiled, 
The shapeless chaos, nature's womb, 
Lay buried in eternal gloom. 

3 " Let there be light ! " Jehovah said, 
And light o'er all its face was spread : 
Nature, arrayed in charms unknown, 
Gay with its new-born lustre shone. 

4 He sees the mind, when lost it lies 
In shades of ignorance and vice ; 
And darts from heaven a vivid ray, 
And changes midnight into day. 

5 Our souls, revived by heavenly light, 
Shall be in all thine image bright ; 
While all our faculties shall join 

To praise the Lord of light divine. 



112 THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. [Part III. 

HYMN 115. L. M. 

The Divine Benignity in every Disjaensation. Ps. ix. 10. 

1 Praise to his grace, who loud proclaims 
His various and his saving names ; 

O may they not be heard alone, 
But by our sure experience known ! 

2 The great Jehovah be adored, 
TV eternal, all-sufficient Lord ! 
Through all the world most high confessed, 
By whom 't was formed and is possessed. 

ft Awake, our noblest powers to bless 
The God of Abr'am, God of peace ; 
Now by a dearer title known, 
Father and God of Christ his son. 

4 Through every age his gracious ear 
Is open to his servants' prayer ; 
Nor can one humble soul complain 
That it hath sought its God in vain. 

5 What unbelieving heart shall dare 
In whispers to suggest a fear, 
While still he owns his ancient name, 
The same his power, his love the same: 

6 To thee our souls in faith arise, 
To thee we lift expecting eyes, 
And boldly through the desert tread, 

For God will guard where God shall lead. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. US 

HYMN 116. S. M. 

Jesus Christ the Light of the World. 

1 Behold the Prince of peace ! 
The chosen of the Lord, 

God's well-beioved Son fulfils 
The sure prophetic word. 

2 No royal pomp adorns 
This king of righteousness : 

Meekness and patience, truth and love, 
Compose his princely dress. 

3 The spirit of the Lord, 
In rich abundance shed, 

On this great prophet gently lights, 
And rests upon his head. 

4 Jesus, the light of men ! 
His doctrine life imparts : 

O may we feel its quickening power 
To warm and glad our hearts ! 

5 Cheered by its beams, our souls 
Shall run the heavenly way : 

The path which Christ has marked and trod, 
Will lead to endless day. 

HYMN 117. C. M. 

The Mission of Jesus Christ. Luke iv. 13, 19. 

1 Hark, the glad sound! the Saviour comes, 
The Saviour promised long ; 

10* 



114 THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. [Part III 

Let every heart a throne prepare, 
And every voice a song ! 

2 On him the spirit largely poured, 

Exerts its holy fire ; 
Wisdom and might, and zeal and love, 
His sacred breast inspire. 

3 He comes the prisoner to release, 

In wretched bondage held ; 
The gates of brass before him burst, 
The iron fetters yield. 

4 He comes, from thickest films of vice 

To clear the mental ray ; 
And on the eye-balls of the blind 
To pour celestial day. 

5 He comes, the broken heart to bind, 

The wounded soul to cure : 
And with the treasures of his grace 
T 5 enrich the humble poor. 

6 Our songs of joy and gratitude 

His welcome shall proclaim ! 
Hail to the Prince of peace, who comes 
In God our Father's name! 



HYMN 118. C. M. 

The first and second Coming of Jesus. Ps. xcvi- 

1 Sing to the Lord, ye distant lands ! 
Ye tribes of every tongue ! 



Fart III.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. 115 

His new-discovered grace demands 
A new and nobler song. 

2 Say to the nations, Jesus came 

A guilty world to save ; 
From vice and error to reclaim, 
And rescue from the grave. 

3 Let heaven proclaim the joyful day : 

Joy through the earth be seen ; 
Let cities shine in bright array, 
And fields in cheerml green. 

4 With pleasure lift your wondering eyes, 

Ye islands of the sea ! 
Ye mountains ! sink ; ye vallies ! rise ; 
Prepare the Saviour's way. 

5 Behold he comes ! he comes to bless 

The nations from their God ; 
To show the world his righteousness, 
And send his truth abroad. 

6 Again he comes, with powerful voice 

To wake the numerous dead, 
And call his churches to rejoice 
With their exalted head. 

7 When he, who is our life, draws near 5 

And all his glory view, 
His faithful servants shall appear 
With him in glory too. 



116 THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. [Part III 

HYMN 119. H. M. 

The Efficacy of the Gospel. Isa. lv^. 10, 11. 

1 Mark the soft-falling snow, 
And the descending rain ! 

To heaven from whence it fell, 
It turns not back again ; 

But waters earth 

Through every pore, 

And calls forth all 

Her secret store. 

2 Arrayed in beauteous green 
The hills and valleys shine, 
And man and beast are fed 
By providence divine : 

The harvest bows 
Its golden ears, 
The copious seed 
Of future years. 

8 " So," saith the God of grace, 
" My gospel shall descend, 
Almighty to effect 
The purpose I intend ; 

Millions of souls 

Shall feel its power, 

And bear it down 

To millions more. 

4 " Joy shall begin your march, 
And peace protect your ways, 
While all the mountains round 
Echo melodious praise : 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. 117 

The vocal groves 
Shall sing the God, 
And every tree 
Consenting nod." 



HYMN 120. L. M. 

Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness. Mai. iv. 2. 

To thee, O God ! we homage pay, 
Source of the light that rules the day ! 
Who, while he gilds all nature's frame, 
Reflects thy rays and speaks thy name. 

In louder strains we sing that grace, 
Which gives the Sun of righteousness, 
Whose nobler light salvation brings, 



n 



And scatters healing from his wings. 

3 Enlightened by his heavenly ray, 
Our shades and darkness turn to day ; 
His inward teachings make us know 
Our danger, and our refuge too. 

4 O may his glories stand confessed, 
From north to south, from east to west \ 
Successful may his gospel run, 

Wide as the circuit of the sun. 

5 When shall that radiant scene arise, 
When fixed on high, in purer skies, 
Christ all his lustre shall display 

On all his saints through endless day ! 



118 THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. [Part III. 

HYMN 121. S. M. 

Light and Redemption by the Gospel. 

1 The traveller, lost in night, 
Breathes many a longing sigh, 

And marks the welcome dawn of light. 
With rapture in his eye. 

2 Thus sweet the dawn of day 
Which weary sinners find, 

When mercy with reviving ray 
Beams o'er the fainting mind. 

3 To slaves opprest with chains, 
How kind, how dear the friend, 

Whose generous hand relieves their pains, 
And bids their sorrows end ! 

4 Thus dear that friend divine, 
Who rescues captive souls : 

Unbinds the galling chains of sin, 
And all its power controls. 

5 My God ! to gospel light 
My dawn of hope I owe ; 

Once wandering in the shades of night, 
And sunk in hopeless wo. 

6 Thy hand redeems the slave, 
And sets the prisoner free : 

Be all I am, and all I have, 
Devoted, Lord, to thee ! 



Part 111.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. ] 19 

HYMN 122. L. M. 

Jesus Christ the Image of the invisible God. 

1 Thou, Lord, by mortal eyes unseen, 
And by thine offspring here unknown, 
To manifest thyself to men, 

Hast set thine image in thy Son. 

2 As the bright sun's meridian blaze 
O'erwhelms and pains our feeble sight, 
But cheers us with his softer rays 
When shining with reflected light ; 

3 So in thy Son, thy power divine, 
Thy wisdom, justice, truth, and love, 
With mild and pleasing lustre shine, 
Reflected from thy throne above. 

4 Though Jews who granted not his claim, 
Contemptuous turned away their face ; 
Yet those who trusted in his name, 
Beheld in him thy truth and grace. 

5 O Thou ! at whose almighty word, 
Fair light at first from darkness shone, 
Teach us to know our glorious Lord, 
And trace the Father in the Son. 

6 While we thine image, there displayed, 
W ith love and admiration view, 
Form us in likeness to our head, 
That we may bear thine image too. 



120 THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. [Part III. 

HYMN 123. L. M. 

Miraculous Character of Jesus Christ, 

1 What works of wisdom, power, and love, 
Do Jesus' high commission prove ! 
Attest his heaven-derived claim, 

And glorify his Father's name ! 

2 On eyes that never saw the day, 
He pours the bright celestial ray ; 
And deafened ears by him unbound, 
Catch all the harmony of sound. 

3 Lameness takes up its bed and goes 
Rejoicing in the strength that flows 
Through every nerve ; and free from pain. 
Pours forth to God the grateful strain. 

4 The shattered mind his word restores, 
And tunes afresh the mental powers ; 
The dead revive, to life return, 

And bid affection cease to mourn. 

5 Canst thou, my soul, these wonders trace, 
And not admire Jehovah's grace ? 
Canst thou behold thy Saviour's power, 
And not the God he served adore ! 



HYMN 124. S. M. 

Jesus Christ the Messenger of Pardon. 

Raise your triumphant songs 
To an immortal tune ; 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. 121 

Let the wide earth resound the deeds 
Celestial grace hath done. 

2 Sing how eternal love 
Its best-beloved chose ! 

And bade him raise our sinful race 
From an abyss of woes. 

3 Pardon and peace from heaven 
Jesus proclaims abroad ; 

And brings to erring, guilty man 
Sure mercy from his God. 

4 Then, sinners, dry your tears ? 
Let hopeless sorrow cease ; 

Bow to the sceptre of his love, 
And take the offered peace. 

5 We joy to hear the call ; 

We bless the Saviour's name ; 

And praise the first Almighty cause, 

From which such favour came. 



HYMN 125. s&rs M. 

Benignity of God in the Gospel. 

Praise to God, the great Creator ! 

Bounteous source of every joy, 
He whose hand upholds all nature, 

He whose word can all destroy ; 
Saints, with pious zeal attending, 

Now the grateful tribute raise ; 
11 



122 THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. [Part 111. 

Solemn songs, to heaven ascending, 
Join the universal praise. 

2 Light of those whose dreary dwelling 

Bordered on the shades of death, 
He, in Christ rich grace revealing, 

Scattered all the clouds beneath. 
Lo ! th' eternal page before us 

Bears the covenant of his love, 
Full of mercy to restore us, 

Mercy beaming from above. 

3 Father, source of all compassion, 

Pure, unbounded love thou art ; 
Hail the God of our salvation ; 

Praise him every thankful heart : 
Joyfully on earth adore him, 

Till in heaven our songs we raise ; 
There enraptured fall before him, 

Lost in wonder, love, and praise. 



HYMN 126. L. M. 

Christian Privileges and Oblig-atioir- . 

1 What countless myriads draw their breatj 
In lands of ignorance and death, 

While God allots my share of time, 
Within his gospel's favoured clime ! 

2 Shall I receive this grace in vain ? 
Shall I my great vocation stain ? 



Part III] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. 123 

Away, ye works in darkness wrought ! 
Away, each sensual, earthly thought ! 

3 My soul ! I charge thee to excel 
In thinking right and acting well ; 
Deep let thy searching powers engage, 
Unbiassed, in the sacred page. 

4 Heighten the force of good desire, 
To deeds of shining worth aspire ; 
More firm in fortitude, despise 
The world's seducing vanities. 

5 Strong and more strong thy passions rule, 
Advancing still in virtue's school ; 
Contending still, with noble strife, 

To imitate thv Saviour's life. 



HYMN 127. P. M. 

The Christian Church, a living Temple. 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. 

1 With ecstacy of joy 
Extol his glorious name, 
Who raised the spacious earth, 
And formed the human frame ; 

He built the church, who built the sky, 
Shout and exalt his honours high. 

2 See the foundation laid 
By power and love divine ; 
In Christ, his first-born son, 
How bright his glories shine ! 



124 THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. [Part Hi, 

Low he descends, in dust he lies, 
That from his tomb a church may rise. 

3 But he forever lives, 
Nor for himself alone ; 
Each saint new life derives 
From him the living stone ; 

His influence spreads through every soul. 
And in one house unites the whole. 

4 To him with joy we move, 
In him cemented stand, 
The living temple grows, 
And owns the founder's hand : 

That structure, Lord ! still higher raise. 
Louder to sound its builder's praise. 

5 Descend and shed abroad 
The tokens of thy grace ; 
And with more radiant beams 
Let glory fill the place ; 

Our joyful souls shall prostrate fall, 
Vnd own our God is all in all. 



HYMN 128. 7b. M, 

The Invitations of the Gospel. Mat. xi. 28. 

.1 Come! said Jesus' sacred voice, 

Come, and make my paths your choice : 
I will guide you to your home ; 
Weary pilgrim, hither come ! 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. 125 

2 Thou, who houseless, sole, forlorn, 
Long hast borne the proud world's scorn, 
Long hast roamed the barren waste, 
Weary pilgrim, hither haste! 

3 Ye, who, tost on beds of pain, 
Seek for ease but seek in vain : 

Ye, whose swollen and sleepless eyes 
Watch to see the morning rise : 

4 Ye, by fiercer anguish torn, 

Guilt, in strong remorse, who mourn ; 
Here repose your heavy care : 
Conscience wounded, who can bear ? 

5 Sinner, come ! for here is found 
Balm that flows for every wound ; 
Peace that ever shall endure ; 
Rest eternal, sacred, sure. 



HYMN 129. C. M. 

The Highway to Zion. Isa. xxxv. 8, 9, 10. 

1 Sing, ye redeemed of the Lord, 

Your great deliverer sing ; 
Pilgrims, for Zion's city bound, 
Be joyful in your King. 

2 See the fair way his hand hath raised, 

How holy, and how plain! 
Nor shall the simplest traveller err, 
Nor ask the track in vain. 
11* 



126 THE CHRISTIAN, REVELATION. [Part TIL 

3 No ravening lion shall destroy, 

Nor lurking serpent wound ; 
Pleasure and safety, peace and praise, 
Through all the path are found. 

4 A hand divine shall lead you on 

Along the blissful road, 
Till on the sacred mount you see 
The glory of your God. 

5 There, garlands of immortal joy 

Shall bloom on every head ; 
While sorrow, sighing, and distress. 
Like shadows all are fled. 

6 March on in your Redeemer's strength, 

Pursue his footsteps still ; 
And let the prospect cheer your eye, 
While labouring up the hill. 



HYMN 130. 7s. M. 

Jesus risen, and Death vanquished. 

1 Angel, roll the stone away ! 
Death, yield up thy mighty prey ! 
See, he rises from the tomb, 
Glowing in immortal bloom ! Hallelujah ! 

2 Shout, ye saints, in rapturous song ; 
Let the notes be sweet and strong : 
Hail the son of God, this morn 
From his sepulchre new-born ! 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION 12' 

3 Christians, dry your flowing tears ; 
Chase those unbelieving fears ; 
Look on his deserted grave ; 
Doubt no more his power to save. 

4 Powers of heaven, celestial choirs, 
Sing, and sweep your sounding lyres ! 
Sons of men, in joyful strain, 

Hail your mighty Saviour's reign ! 

5 Every note with wonder swell, 
And the Saviour's triumph tell : 
Where, O death, is now thy sting r 
Where thy terrors, vanquished king ? 



HYMN 131. L. M. 

Death and Resurrection of Christ. 

1 He dies, the friend of sinners dies ! 
Lo ! Salem's daughters weep around ! 
A solemn darkness veils the skies ; 

A sudden trembling shakes the ground ; 

2 Here 's love and grief beyond degree ! 
The Lord of glory dies for men ; 
But lo ! what sudden joys we see, — 
Jesus, the dead, revives again. 

3 Break off your tears, ye saints ! and say 
How high your great deliverer reigns; 
Sing how he rose to endless day. 

And led the tyrant death in chains: 



128 THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. [Part III. 

4 Say, u Live forever, wondrous King ! 
Born to redeem, and strong to save ! " 
Then ask the monster, "Where's thy sting ? 
And where 's thy victory, boasting grave ?" 



HYMN 132. 7s M. 

The Ascension and Exaltation of Jesus. 

1 Hail the day that sees him rise, 
Ravished from our wishful eyes, 
Christ, awhile to mortals given, 
Now ascends the highest heaven. 

2 There the pompous triumph waits ; 
Lift your heads, eternal gates ! 
Wide unfold the radiant scene, 
Take th' exalted Jesus in. 

3 Him the highest heaven receives, 
Still he loves the earth he leaves ; 
Though exalted to his throne, 
Still he calls mankind his own. 

4 See, he lifts his hands above, 
See, he shows the prints of love ; 
Hark ! his gracious lips bestow 
Blessings on his church below. 

5 Ever upward let us move, 
Wafted on the wings of love ; 
There we shall with him remain. 
Partners of his endless reign. 



Part HI.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. 129 

HYMN 133. L. M. 

The Excellency and final Success of the Gospel. Ps. xix. 

1 The heavens declare thy glory, Lord ! 
In every star thy wisdom shines ; 

Hut when our eyes behold thy word, 
\\ e read thy name in fairer lines. 

2 The rolling sun, the changing light, 

And nights, and days, thy power confess ; 
But the blest volume thou hast writ, 
Reveals thy justice and thy grace. 

3 Sun, moon, and stars, convey thy praise 
Round the whole earth and never stand ; 
So when thy truth began its race, 

It touched and glanced on every land. 

4 Father of lights ! in glorv rise, 

Bless the dark world with heavenly light ; 
Thy gospel makes the simple wise, 
Thy laws are pure, thy judgments right. 

5 Thy noblest wonders here we view 
hi souls renewed, and sins forgiven ; 
Lord ! cleanse my sins, my soul rcnev\ . 
And make thj' word my guide to heaven. 



HYMN 134. L. M. 

Universal Prevalence and Power of the Gospel implored. 

1 Father adored in worlds above! 
Thv glorious name he hallowed still ; 



130 THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. [Part III. 

Thy kingdom come with power and love, 
And earth, like heaven, obey thy will. 

2 The triumphs of thy truth display ; 
In every clime reign thou alone, 
Till all thy toes confess thy sway, 
And glory ends what grace begun. 

3 Fountain of light ! all-perfect mind ! 
O let thine healing influence flow 
Through all the tribes of human kind, 
And new create thy world below. 

4 Widely diffuse the blessings round, 
Thy grace so richly scatters here, 
Till earth shall to its utmost bound 
Thy hand confess, adore, and fear. 



HYMN 135. L. M. 

The Kingdom of Christ. Ps. Ixxii. 

1 To God let fervent prayers arise 
With every daily sacrifice, 

The great Messiah's reign to spread, 
And with new honours crown his head. 

2 Soon may he rule where'er the sun 
Doth his successive journeys run; 

His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, 
Till moons shall wax and wane no more. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. 131 

3 As gentle rain on parching ground, 
His gospel sheds its influence round : 
Its grace on fainting souls distils, 
Like heavenly dew on thirsty hills. 

4 Blessings abound where 'er he reigns ; 
The prisoner leaps to loose his chains: 
The weary find eternal rest, 

And contrite hearts with peace are blest. 

5 Where he displays his healing power, 
The sting of death is known no more ; 
In him the tribes of Adam boast 
More blessings than their father lost. 

6 Great God ! may realms of every tongue 
Dwell on thy love with sweetest song : 
And with united hearts proclaim, 

That grace and truth by Jesus came. 



HYMN 136. 8&7s. M. 

The future Peace and Glory of the Church. Isa. Ix. 15 — 29. 

1 Hear what God, the Lord, hath spoken; 
O my people, faint and few, 
Comfortless, afflicted, broken ; 
Fair abodes I build for you : 

nes of heartfelt tribulation 
Shall no more perplex your ways : 
Vou shall name your walls, salvation, 
And your gates shall all be praise- 



132 THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. [Part TIL 

2 There, like streams that feed the garden, 
Pleasures without end shall flow ; 

For the Lord, your faith rewarding, 
All his bounty shall bestow : 
Still in undisturbed possession 
Peace and righteousness shall reign ; 
Never shall you feel oppression, 
Hear the voice of war again. 

3 Ye, no more your suns descending, 
Waning moons no more shall see ; 
But your griefs forever ending, 
Find eternal noon in me : 

God shall rise, and shining o'er you. 
Change to day the gloom of night ; 
He, the Lord, shall be your glory, 
God your everlasting light. 



HYMN 137. S. M. 

Attraction of the Cross. John xii. 32. 

1 Behold th' amazing sight, 
The Saviour lifted high ! 

Behold the Father's chief delight 
Expire in agony ! 

2 For whom, for whom, my heart, 
Were all these sorrows borne ? 

Why did he feel that piercing smart, 
And meet that various scorn ? 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN REVELATION. 133 

3 For love of us he bled, 
And all in torture died : 

'Twas love that bowed his fainting head, 
And oped his gushing side. 

4 In sympathy of love 

Let all the earth combine : 
And, drawn by cords so gentle, prove 
The energy divine. 

5 In him our hearts unite, 
Nor share his grief alone, 

But from his cross pursue their flight 
To his triumphant throne. 



HYMN 138. C. M. 

Prayer for the Spread of the Gospel. 

1 Great God of grace ! arise and shine 

With beams of heavenly light : 
From this dark world of sin dispel 
The long and gloomy night. 

2 No more may senseless idols share 

The honours due to thee : 
Ma\ every nation know thy name, 
And thy salvation see. 

3 No more may persecution dare 

To lift Iter iron rod ; 
No ! i i ;er shed the blood of saints, 
And plead a zeal for God. 
12 



134 EXAMPLE OF JESUS CHRIST, [Part III, 

4 With its own pure and native light, 

Still let the gospel shine : 
And error fly like noxious mists 
Before this light divine, 

5 While heaven-born truth her charms reveals, 

May love each breast inspire ; 
Nor one base passion ever mix, 
To quench this sacred fire. 



HYMN 139. L. M. 

Example of the Saviour. 

And is the gospel peace and love ? 
So let our conversation be ; 
The serpent blended with the dove. 
Wisdom and meek simplicity. 

Whene'er the angry passions rise, 

And tempt our thoughts or tongues to strife, 

On Jesus let us fix our eyes, 

Bright pattern of the christian life ! 

O how benevolent and kind ! 
How mild ! how ready to forgive ! 
Be this the temper of our mind, 
And his the rules by which we live. 

To do his heavenly father's will 
Was his employment and delight : 
Humanity and holy zeal 
Shone through his life divinely bright ! 



Part III.] AND CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. 135 

5 Dispensing good where'er he came, 
The labours of his life were love : 
If then we love our Saviour's name, 
Thus let us our relation prove. 



HYMN 140. C. M. 

Example of Christ. 

Behold where in a mortal form 
Appears each grace divine ; 

The virtues, all in Jesus met, 
With mildest radiance shine. 



> 



To spread the rays of heavenly light, 

To give the mourner joy, 
To preach glad tidings to the poor. 

Was his divine employ. 

3 Lowly in heart, to all his friends 
A friend and servant found, 
He washed their feet, he wiped their tears, 
And healed each bleeding wound. 

\ 'Midst keen reproach, and cruel scorn, 
Patient and meek he stood : 
His foes, ungrateful, sought his life ; 
He laboured for their good. 

5 To God he left his righteous cause, 
And still his task pursued ; 
While humble prayer and holy faith 
His fainting strength renewed. 



136 



EXAMPLE OF JESUS CHRIST, [Part III. 



6 In the last hour of deep distress, 

He sought his father's throne, 
Breathed out his soul, and meekly said, 
" Thy will, not mine, be done ! " 

7 No longer now the man of griefs ; 

Of life and glory Lord ; 
He calls his brethren fellow-heirs, 
Their glory — his reward. 

8 Be Christ our pattern and our guide ! 

His image may we bear ! 
O may we tread his holy steps, 
His joy and glory share. 






HYMN 141. L. M. 

Imitation of the Saviour. 

1 Father of our exalted Lord ! 
I read my duty in his word ; 
But in his life the law appears 
Drawn out in living characters, 

2 Faithful his mission to fulfil ! 
Resigned to all his Father's will ! 
His love and meekness, how divine ! 

I would transcribe and make them mine, 

3 Cold mountains and the midnight air 
Witnessed the fervour of his prayer : 

The desert his temptations knew, 
His conflicts and his victories too. 



Part III.] AND CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. 137 

4 He is my pattern ; may I bear 
More of his gracious image here ! 
Then shall I find my humble name 
Among the followers of the Lamb. 



HYMN 142. C. M. 

The Example of Jesus and his faithful Servants. 

1 Give me the wings of faith, to rise 

Within the veil, and see 
The saints above, how great their joys, 
How bright their glories be ! 

2 Once they were mourners here below ; 

Their eyes were dimmed with tears ; 
And hard they strove, as we would now, 
With sins, and doubts, and fears. 

3 And ask we, whence their victory came ?- 

They with united breath 
Ascribe their triumph to his name, 
Who burst the bands of death. 

4 They marked the footsteps that he trod, 

His zeal inspired their breast ; 
And following their triumphant Lord, 
Possess the promised rest. 

5 Then to our glorious leader praise, 

For his own pattern given ; 
While the long cloud of witnesses 
Shows the same path to heaven. 

12* 



138 EXAMPLE OF JESUS CHRIST, [Part III. 

HYMN 143. C. M. 

Excellence of the Scriptures. 

1 Father of mercies ! in thy word 

What endless glory shines ! 
Forever be thy name adored 
For these celestial lines ! 

2 Here, may the wretched sons of want 

Exhaustless riches find ; 
Riches above what earth can grant, 
And lasting as the mind. 

3 Here, the fair tree of knowledge grows, 

And yields a free repast ; 
More precious fruits than nature knows, 
Invite the longing taste. 

4 Here, springs of consolation rise 

To cheer the fainting mind ; 

And thirsty souls receive supplies, 

And sweet refreshment find. 

5 O may the gospel ever be 

Our study and delight ; 
And still new beauties may we see, 
And still increasing light ! 



HYMN 144. C. M. 

Instruction and Consolation from the Scriptures. Ps. cxix. 

1 Lord ! we have made thy word our choice. 
Our lasting heritage : 



Part III.] AND CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. 139 

There shall our noblest powers rejoice, 
Our warmest thoughts engage. 

2 We '11 read the histories of thy love, 

And keep thy laws in sight, 
While through the promises we rove, 
With ever fresh delight. 

3 Our numerous griefs are here redrest, 

And all our wants supplied ; 
Nought we can ask to make us blest, 
Is in this book denied. 

4 This is the field where hidden lies 

The pearl of price unknown : 
Then blest is he who wisely tries 
To make that pearl his own. 

5 This is the judge that ends the strife, 

Where wit and reason tail ; 
Our guide to everlasting life 
Through all this gloomy vale. 

6 Oh ! may its counsels, mighty God ! 

Our roving feet command ; 
Nor we forsake the happy road, 
That leads to thy right hand. 



HYMN 145. s. ;/. 

The Glorj and Efficacy of God's Word. 

1 What glory gilds thy won! ! 
Majestic like the sun, 



140 EXAMPLE OF JESUS CHRIST [Part III. 

It gives a light to every age, — 
It gives, but borrows none. 

2 The hand that gave it, still 
Supplies its light and heat ; 

His truths upon the nations rise, — 
They rise, but never set. 

3 And blest thy creature is, 
When first with single eye 

He views the lustre of thy word, 
The dayspring from on high. 

4 Through clouds that veil the skies, 
And frown on earthly things, 

The sun of righteousness breaks forth, 
With healing in his wings. 

5 Struck by that light, his heart, 
A barren soil no more, 

Sends shoots of righteousness abroad 
Where follies sprung before. 

6 The soul so dreary once, 
Once misery's dark domain, 

Feels happiness unknown before, 
And owns a heavenly reign. 



HYMN 146. S. M. 

Meekness and Candour in investigating Divine Truth. 

1 Imposture shrinks from light, 
And dreads the curious eye : 



Part III.] AND CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. 141 

But sacred truths the test invite, 
They bid us search and try. 

2 O may we still maintain 

A meek, inquiring mind ; 
Assured we shall not search in vain, 

But hidden treasures find. 

•J With understanding blest, 

Created to be free, 
Our faith on man we dare not rest, 

Subject to none but thee. 

4 Lord, give the Light we need ; 
With soundest knowledge fill ; 

From noxious error guard our creed, 
From prejudice our will. 

5 The truth thou shalt impart, 
May we with firmness own : 

Abhorring each evasive art, 
And fearing thee alone. 



HYMN 147. 61 L. M. 

Spiritual Light and Knowledge implored. Ps. cxix. 

1 While through life's pilgrimage I stray 
O let thy light attend my way, 
Thy precepts fixed before my view, 
Let me with steadfast aim pursue, 
Nor error's cloud, nor arts of sin, 
iMv soul from truth and virtue win. 



142 EXAMPLE OF JESUS CHRIST, [Part III. 

2 Thou source of light to all below ! 
Teach me thy word aright to know, 
That, raised above the world, my mind 
In thee its highest good may find, 
And with celestial wisdom filled, 

A pure, a full obedience yield. 

3 Thus to my life's remotest day, 

Teach me, O teach me, Lord ! thy way : 
Divert from vanity mine eye, 
To me thy quickening strength supply ; 
And with thy promised succour, cheer 
A heart devoted to thy fear. 



HYMN 148. C. M. 

Value of the Knowledg-e of God. Hos. vi. 3. 

1 Shine forth, Eternal Source of light ! 

Make thy perfections known ; 
Fill our enlarged, adoring sight 
With lustre all thy own. 

2 To know the author of our frame, 

Is our sublimest skill : 
True science is to learn his name, 
True life to do his will. 

3 All wisdom else, compared with this, 

Is little worth and vain ; 
Who wants it, never tastes of bliss 5 
Though all beside he gain. 



Part III.] AND CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. 143 

4 For this let us unceasing pray ; 
This all our powers pursue, 
Till visions of eternal day 
Fix and complete the view. 



HYMN 149. L. M. 

Faith in the Invisible God. Heb. xi. 27. 

1 Eternal and Almighty King ! 

Thy peerless splendors none can bear 
But darkness veils seraphic eyes, 
When God with all his glory ? s there. 

2 Yet faith can pierce the awful gloom, 
The great Invisible can see ; 

And with its tremblings mingle joy, 
In fixed regards, great God ! to thee. 

3 Then every tempting form of sin, 
Awed by thy presence, disappears ; 
And all the glowing, raptured soul 
The likeness it contemplates, wears. 

4 O ever conscious to my heart ; 
Witness to its supreme desire : 
Behold it presseth on to thee, 

For it hath caught the heavenly fire, 

5 This one petition would it urge — 
To bear thee ever in its sight : 

In life, in death, in worlds unknown, 
Its only portion and delight ! 



144 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

HYMN 150. L. M. 

Imitation of God. 

1 Great God ! thy peerless excellence 
Let all created natures own : 

Deep on our minds impress the sense 
Of glories which are thine alone. 

2 Let these our admiration raise, 
And fill us with religious awe : 

Tune all our hearts and tongues to praise. 
And bend us to thy holy law. 

3 But, where we may resemble thee, 
And in thy godlike nature share, 
Thine humble followers let us be, 
And somewhat of thy likeness bear. 

4 Pure may we be, averse from sin, 
Just, holy, merciful, and true ; 
And let thine image, formed within, 
Shine out in all we speak and do. 



HYMN 151. S, M. 

GoJ's Parental Character: 

1 My Father ! — cheering name ! 

O may 1 call thee mine ? 
Give me with humble hope to claim 

A portion so divine. 



2 This can my fears control, 
And bid my sorrows fly ; 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS. 145 

What real harm can reach my soul 
Beneath my Father's eye ? 

3 Whate'er thy will denies, 
I calmly would resign; 

For thou art just, and good, and wise : 
O bend my will to thine ! 

4 Whate'er thy will ordains, 
O give me strength to bear ; 

Still let me know a Father reigns, 
And trust a Father's care. 

5 If anguish rend this frame 
And life almost depart ; 

Is not thy mercy still the same 
To cheer my drooping heart ? 

6 Thy ways are little known 
To my weak, erring sight ; 

Yet shall my soul, believing, own 
That all thy ways are right. 

7 My Father ! — blissful name ! 
Above expression dear ! 

If thou accept my humble claim, 
I bid adieu to fear. 



HYMN 152. L. M. 

Devout Aspirations. 

1 Our God, as merciful as just, 
Kindly remembers man is dust ; 
13 



146 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

His ear is open to our cries, 

His grace will meet our lifted eyes. 

2 He reads the language of a tear, 
Listens to sighs from hearts sincere ; 
He marks the dawn of virtuous aim, 
And fans the smoking flax to flame. 

3 Set us from earthly bondage free, 
Still every wish that strays from thee ; 
Bid, Lord, our vain disquiets cease, 
And point our path to endless peace. 

4 Jf in the vale of tears we stray, 

Where wounding thorns perplex our way, 
Still let our souls thy goodness see, 
And with strong faith lay hold on thee. 

5 With joy, my soul, thy lot receive, 
Resigned alike to die or live ; 
Kissing the sceptre or the rod, 
See God in all, and all in God. 

6 With thee in solitudes I walk, 
With thee in crowded cities talk, 
In every creature own thy power, 
In each event thy will adore. 

7 Thy hopes shall animate my soul, 
Thy precepts guide, thy fear control ; 
Within the temple of thine 'arms 

I '11 rest secure from all alarms. 

8 Thus when the closing hour draws nigh, 
And earth recedes belore mine eye, 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS. 147 

From cares and gloomy terrors free, 
I feel omnipotent in thee. 



HYMN 153. C. M. 

The Divine Blessing needful to Success in Life. Ps. xc. 17. 

1 Shine on our souls, Eternal God ! 

With rays of mercy shine : 
O let thy favour crown our days, 
And their whole course be thine. 

2 Did we not raise our hands to thee, 

Our hands might toil in vain : 
Small joy success itself could give, 
If thou thv love restrain. 

3 'T is ours the furrows to prepare, 

And sow the precious grain ; 
'T is thine to give the sun and air, 
And to command the rain. 

4 With thee let every week begin, 

With thee each day be spent, 
For thee each fleeting hour improved, 
Since each by thee is lent. 

5 O cheer us through this toilsome road, 

Till all our labours cease ; 
And death our longing souls conduct 
To dwell in endless peace. 



148 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part. III. 

HYMN 154. C. M. 

Living habitually in the Fear of God. Prov. xxiii. 17. 

1 O blest are they who, born from heaven. 

While yet they sojourn here, 
Each clay of life with God begin, 
And spend it in his fear. 

2 'Midst hourly cares, may we present 

Our offe rings to thy throne ; 
And while the world our hands employs, 
Our hearts be thine alone. 

3 As sanctified to noblest ends, 

Be each refreshment sought ; 
And by each various providence 
Some wise instruction brought. 

4 When to laborious duties called, 

Or by temptations tried, 
We '11 seek the shelter of thy wings, 
And in thy strength confide. 

5 As different scenes of life arise, 

Our grateful hearts would be 
With thee amidst the social band, 
In solitude with thee. 

6 In solid, pure delights like these, 

Let all our days be past ; 
Nor shall we then impatient wish, 
Nor shall we fear the last. 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS 149 

HYMN 155. L. M. 

The Fear of God. 

1 Great Author of all nature's frame ! 
Holy and reverend is thy name ; 
Thou Lord of life and Lord of death ! 
Worlds rise and vanish at thy breath. 

2 But blest are they, O gracious Lord ! 
Who fear thy name and keep thy word : 
Thy wisdom guides, thy power defends 
Their life, till life its journey ends. 

3 O that my soul with awful sense 
Of thy transcendant excellence, 
May close the day, the day begin, 
Watchful against each darling sin ! 

4 Never, O never from my heart, 
May this great principle depart, 
But act with unabating power 
Within me, to my latest hour ! 



HYMN 156. L. M. 

Faith and Hope in the Divine Goodness. 

Lord ! while my thoughts with wonder 

trace 
Thy favours past through all my J: 
.My thankful heart adores thy grace ; 
I trust that goodness which I praise. 
13* 



150 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part IIL 

2 Still from the same eternal spring 
Thy various bounties constant flow : 
Beneath the shelter of thy wing, 

I view serene the shades of wo. 

3 I see no terrors in thy name, 
But in my God a father find : 

The voice that shakes all nature's frame, 
Speaks comfort to the pious mind. 

4 E'en death's tremendous vale appears 
No more in gloomy terrors drest : 
Thy voice, O God ! forbids my fears, 
While on thy gracious hand I rest. 

5 Through the dark scenes of mortal care, 
To humble faith's enraptured eye, 

The distant prospect opens fair 
Of radiant mansions in the sky. 



HYMN 157. C. M. 

The Ways of the Righteous known to God. Ps. xxxvii. 18. 

1 To thee, O God ! my days are known ; 

My soul enjoys the thought ; 
My actions all before thee lie, 
Nor are my wants forgot. 

2 Each secret wish devotion breathes, 

Is vocal to thine ear : 
And all my walks of daily life 
Before thine eye appear. 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS. 151 

3 The vacant hour, the active scene, 

Thy mercy will approve ; 
And every pang of sympathy, 
And every care of love. 

4 Each golden hour of beaming light 

Is gilded by thy rays ; 
And dark affliction's midnight gloom 
A present God surveys. 

5 Full in thy view through life I pass, 

And in thy view I die ! 
And when all mortal bonds shall break, 
May I still find thee nigh ! 



HYMN 158. L. M. 

Piety sanctifying- the Relations and Pleasures of Life. 

1 Enough of life's vain scene I 've trod, 
Sweet is this interval of rest : 

With cheerful heart I meet my God, 
His presence makes me truly blest. 

2 Father and friend ! those ties how dear,. 
How soothing to the human soul ! 
They arm with strength in every fear, 
And all life's varied ills control. 

3 Pleasant is life, and sweet the light 
That pours from the bright orb of day, 
Revealing to our raptured sight, 

The world in all its rich display. 



152 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

4 Pleasant is life, and sweet its ties, 
The touching charities of man : 
Friend, fellow, child, and parent rise, 
Endearing life's progressive plan. 

5 But light and life would soon be vile, 
And all their dearest pleasures pall, 

Nor sun would shine, nor life would smile, 
Without thy presence gladdening all. 



HYMN 159. C. M. 

Habitual Devotion. 

1 While thee I seek, protecting Power ! 

Be my vain wishes stilled ; 

And may this consecrated hour 

With better hopes be filled. 

2 Thy love the powers of thought bestowed ; 

To thee my thoughts would soar ; 
Thy mercy o'er my life has flowed : — 
That mercy I adore ! 

3 In each event of life, how clear 

Thy ruling hand I see ! 
Each blessing to my soul more dear, 
Because conferred by thee. 

4 In every joy that crowns my days, 

In every pain I bear, 
My heart shall find delight in praise. 
Or seek relief in prayer. 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS. 153 

5 When gladness wings my favoured hour, 

Thy love my thoughts shall fill : 
Resigned, v hen storms of sorrow lower, 
My soul shall meet thy will. 

6 My lifted eye, without a tear, 

The gathering storm shall see : 
My steadfast heart shall know no fear : — 
That heart shall rest on thee ! 



HYMN 160. C. M. 

God our Portion here and hereafter. Ps. Ixxiii. 23 — 2?. 

1 God, my supporter and my hope, 

My help forever near ! 
Thine arm of mercy holds me up, 
And saves me from despair. 

2 Thy counsels, Lord, shall guide my feet 

Through this dark wilderness ; 
Thy hand conduct me near thy seat 
To dwell before thy face. 

3 No blessing equal to thy love, 

I through creation see ; 
In earth beneath, in heaven above, 
Whom have I, Lord, but thee ? 

4 What if the springs of life were broke, 

And flesh and heart should faint ? 
God is my soul's eternal rock, 
The strength of every saint 



154 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

5 Behold the sinners, that remove 

Far from thy presence, die ; 
Not all the vanities they love, 
Can peace or hope supply. 

6 But to draw near to thee, my God ! 

Shall be my sweet employ : 
My tongue shall sound thy works abroad, 
And tell the world my joy. 

HYMN 161. L. M. 

God the Desire and Happiness of his People. Ps. lxxiii. 
25, 26. 

1 My God ! whose all pervading eye 
Sees earth beneath and heaven above ; 
O say, if here, or there, thou seest 
An equal object of my love. 

2 Not the gay scenes where mortal men 
Pursue their bliss and find their wo, 
Detain my rising heart, which springs 
The nobler joys of heaven to view. 

3 Not all the fairest sons of light, 

That lead the hosts around thy throne, 
Can bound its flight : it presseth on 
And seeks its rest in God alone. 

4 Fixed near th' immortal source of bliss, 
Dauntless and joyous, it surveys 
Each form of horror and distress, 
That all its deadliest foes can raise. 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS. 155 

5 This feeble flesh shall faint and die, 
This heart renew its pulse no more ; 
E'en now it views the moment nigh, 
When life's last movements all are o'er. 

6 But come, thou vanquished King of dread ! 
With thy own hand thy power destroy ; 
'T is thine to bear me to my God, 

My portion and eternal joy ! 



HYMN 162. C. M. 

Trust in God through all the Changes of Life. 

Father divine ! before thy view 
All worlds, all creatures lie ; 

No distance can elude thy search, 
No action 'scape thine eye. 

From thee our vital breath we drew ; 

Our childhood was thy care ; 
And vigorous youth and feeble age 

Thy kind protection share. 

Whate'er we do, where'er we turn, 
Thy ceaseless bounty flows ; 

Oppressed with wo, when nature faints, 
Thine arm is our repose. 

To thee we look, thou Power Supreme, 

O still our wants supply ! 
Safe in thy presence may we live, 

And in thy favour die. 



156 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

HYMN 163. S. M. 

Seeking God. Ps. lxiii. 

1 My God, permit my tongue 
This joy to call thee mine : 

And let my earnest cries prevail 
To taste thy love divine. 

2 For life without thy love 
No relish can afford : 

No joy can be compared with this, 
To serve and please thee, Lord. 

3 In wakeful hours of night 
I call my God to mind ; 

I think how T wise thy counsels are, 
And all thy dealings kind. 

4 Since thou hast been my help, 
To thee my spirit flies ; 

And on thy watchful providence 
My cheerful hope relies. 

5 The shadow of thy wings 
My soul in safety keeps ; 

I follow where my father leads, 
And he supports my steps, 



HYMN 164. P. M. 

God seen in All. 

1 My God ! all nature owns thy sway ; 
Thou giv'st the night and thou the clay 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS. 157 

When all thy loved creation wakes, 
When morning, rich in lustre, breaks, 
And bathes in dew the opening flower, 
To thee we owe her fragrant hour ; 
And when she pours her choral song, 
Her melodies to thee belong. 

2 Or when in paler tints arrayed, 

The evening slowly spreads her shade ; 
That soothing shade, that grateful gloom, 
Can, more than day's enlivening bloom, 
Still every fond and vain desire, 
And calmer, purer thoughts inspire ; 
From earth the pensive spirit free, 
And lead the softened heart to thee. 

3 In every scene thy hands have dressed, 
In every form by thee impressed, 
Upon the mountain's awful head, 

Or where the sheltering woods are spread ; 
In every note that swells the gale, 
Or tuneful stream that cheers the vale, 
The cavern's depth, or echoing grove, — 
A voice is heard of praise and love. 

4 As o'er thy work the seasons roll, 

And sooth, with change of bliss, the soul, 
O never may their smiling train 
Pass o'er the human sense in vain ! 
But oft as on their charms we gaze, 
Attune the wandering soul to praise ; 
And be the joys that most we prize, 
Those joys that from thy favour rise ! 
14 



158 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

HYMN 165. C. M. 

Trust in God in Prosperity and Adversity. 

1 The Lord ! how tender is his love ! 

His justice, how august ! 
Hence all her fears my soul derives, 
There anchors all her trust. 

2 He showers the manna from above, 

To feed the barren waste ! 
Or points with death the fiery hail, 
And famine waits the blast. 

3 Crowns, realms, and worlds, his wrath in- 

censed, 
Are dust beneath his tread ; 
He blights the fair, unplumes the proud, 
And shakes the learned head. 

4 He bids distress forget to groan, 

The sick from anguish cease ; 
In dungeons spreads his healing wing, 
And softly whispers peace. 

5 Thy vengeance rides the rushing wind, 

Or tips the bolt with flame : 
Thy goodness breathes in every breeze. 
And warms in every beam. 

6 For me, O Lord ! whatever lot 

The hours commissioned bring ; 
Do all my withering blessings die. 
Or fairer clusters spring ; 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS. 159 

7 O ! grant that still with grateful heart 
My years resigned may run ! 
'T is thine to give or to resume, 
And may thy will be done. 



HYMN 166. C. M. 

Submission under afflictive Providences. Job L 21. 

1 Peace, 'tis the Lord Jehovah's hand 

Which blasts our joys in death, 
Changes the visage once so dear, 
And gathers back the breath. 

2 'T is he, the Potentate supreme 

Of all the worlds above, 
Whose steady counsels wisely rule, 
Nor from their purpose move. 

3 The dear delights we here enjoy-, 

And call our own in vain, 
Are but short favours lent us now 
To be repaid again. 

4 The God who lifts our comforts high, 

Or sinks them to the grave, 
He gives, and, blessed be his name ! 
He takes but what he gave. 

5 Peace then, our angry passions, peace ; 

Let each rebellious sigh 
Be silent at his sovereign will, 
And every murmur die. 



160 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

6 If smiling mercy crown our lives, 
Its praises shall be spread ; 
Nor will we call unjust, the hand 
That strikes our comforts dead. 



HYMN 167. L. M. 

" God is Love." 

1 When darkness long has veiled my mind. 
And smiling day once more appears ; 
Then, my Creator ! then I find 

The folly of my doubts and fears. 

2 Straight I upbraid my wandering heart, 
And blush that I should ever be 
Thus prone to act so base a part, 

Or harbour one hard thought of thee. 

3 O let me then at length be taught 
What I am still so slow to learn, — 
That God is love and changes not, 
Nor knows the shadow of a turn. 

4 Sweet truth, and easy to repeat ! 
But when my faith is sharply, tried, 
I find myself a learner yet, 
Unskilful, weak, and apt to slide. 

5 But, O my God ! one look from thee 
Subdues the disobedient will, 
Drives doubt and discontent away, 
And thy rebellious child is still. 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS. 161 

HYMN 168. C. M. 

Submission to the Divine Disposal. 

1 O Lord ! my best desires fulfil, 

And help me to resign 
Life, health, and comfort to thy will, 
And make thy pleasure mine. 

2 Why should I shrink at thy command, 

Whose love forbids my fears ; 
Or tremble at thy gracious hand, 
That wipes away my tears ? 

3 No ! let me rather freely yield 

What most I prize to thee ; 

Who never hast a good withheld, 

Nor wilt withhold from me. 

4 Wisdom and mercy guide my way : 

Shall 1 resist them both ? 
Short-sighted creature of a day, 
And crushed before the moth ! 

5 But ah ! my heart within me cries. 

Still bind me to thy sway ; 
Else the next cloud that veils the skies, 
Drives all these thoughts away. 



HYMN 169. C. M. 

Serenity and Trust implored. Ps. xci. 

1 When present sufferings pain our hearts, 
Or future terrors rise, 
14* 



162 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part Hf. 

And light and hope almost depart 
From these dejected eyes ; 

2 Thy powerful word supports our hopes, 

Rich cordial of the mind ! 
And bears our fainting spirits up, 
And bids us wait resigned. 

3 And oh ! whate'er of earthly bliss 

Thy providence denies, 
Accepted at thy throne of grace 
Let this petition rise : 

4 Give us a calm, a thankful heart, 

From every murmur free : 
The blessings of thy grace impart, 
And make us live to thee. 

5 Let the blest hope that we are thine, 

Our path of life attend ; 
Thy presence through our journey shine. 
And crown our journey's end. 



HYMN 170. L. M. 

Trust in the Divine Love, in every Condition. 

Father ! I thank thee ; may no thought 
E'er deem thy chastisements severe ; 
But may this heart by sorrow taught, 
Calm each wild wish, each idle fear. 

Thy mercy bids all nature bloom, 
Thy sun shines bright, and man is gay ; 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS. 163 

Thine equal mercy spreads the gloom, 
That darkens o'er his little day. 

3 Full many a throb of grief and pain 

Is earth's pale wanderer doomed to know, 
Yet not one prayer is breathed in vain, 
Nor does one tear unheeded flow. 

4 Thy various messengers employ 
Thy purposes of love fulfil ; 

And 'mid the wreck of human joy 
Let kneeling faith adore thy will. 



HYMN 171. C. M. 

Acquiescence in the Will of God. 

1 Parent of good ! we rest on thee ; 

Thine ever watchful eye 

Alone our real wants can see, 

Thine hand alone supply. 

2 Oh ! let thy love within us dwell, 

Thy fear our footsteps guide ; 
That love shall vainer loves expel, 
That fear, all fears beside. 

3 And since by passion's force subdued 

Too oft with stubborn will, 

We blindly shun the latent good, 

And grasp the specious ill ; 

i Not what we wish, but what we want 
Let mercy still supply : 



164 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

The good, unasked, O Father ! grant, 
The ill, though asked, deny. 



HYMN 172. C. M. 

The Aged Christian's Prayer. Ps. lxxi. 

1 O Thou, my earliest, latest hope ; 

I live upon thy truth : 
Thy hands have held my childhood up, 
And strengthened all my youth. 

2 My frame was fashioned by thy power, 

And shows thy skill divine ; 
And from my mother's painful hour, 
I 've been entirely thine. 

5 Still has my life new wonders seen, 
In each revolving year : 
Behold, my days that yet remain, 
I trust them to thy care. 

4 Cast me not off when strength declines, 

When hoary hairs arise ; 
And round me let thy glory shine, 
Whene'er thy servant dies. 

5 Then in the history of my age, 

When men review my days, 
They '11 read thy love in every page, 
In every line thy praise. 



Part III.] DEVOUT AFFECTIONS. 1 65 

HYMN 173. C. M. 

Old Age anticipated. 

1 When in the vale of lengthened years 

My feeble feet shall tread, 
And I survey the various scenes 
Through which I have been led ; 

2 How many mercies will my life 

Before my view unfold ! 
What countless dangers will be past, 
What tales of sorrow told ! 

3 But yet, my soul ! if thou canst say, 

I 've seen my God in all ; 
In every blessing owned his hand, 
In every loss his call ; 

4 If piety has marked my steps, 

And love my actions formed, 
And purity possessed my heart, 
And truth my lips adorned ; 

5 If I've grown old in serving him, 

My Father and my God , 
I need not fear the closing scene, 
Nor dread the appointed road. 

6 This scene will all my labours end ; 

This road conduct on high ; 
With comfort I 'II review the past, 
And triumph though I die. 



166 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

HYMN 174. C. M. 

Early Piety. 

1 Author of life ! with reason's dawn 

Let me thy favour gain ; 
And when its light in shade declines, 
I shall not trust in vain. 

2 In this soft season of my life, 

'Mid nature's smiling bloom, 
Ere age arrive, and trembling wait 
Its summons to the tomb, 

3 Thee let me in remembrance bear ; 

For thee each power employ ! 
And make that God from whom I came, 
My early trust and joy. 

4 Through all youth's slippery paths, be thou 

My counsellor and friend ; 
Since if my years begin with thee, 
With thee my years shall end. 

5 Thou wilt not cast me off, when dark 

And evil days descend ; 
Nor leave me sinking in despair, 
At life's approaching end. 

6 I know the power on which I trust ; 

The arm on which I lean ; 
He will my Father ever be, 
Who has my Father been. 



Part 111.] SOCIAL VIRTUES. 167 

HYMN J 75. L. M. 

The Vanity of Religious Service without true Virtue. 

1 Th' uplifted eye and bended knee 
Are but vain homage, Lord, to thee, 
In vain our lips thy praise prolong, 
The heart a stranger to the song. 

2 Can rites, and forms, and flaming zeal, 
The breaches of thy precepts heal ? 
Or fasts and penance reconcile 

Thy justice, and obtain thy smile ? 

3 Not he whose baseless hope relies 
On modes which erring men devise ; 
Who merely calls the Saviour, Lord, 
But heeds not to perform his word; 

4 Not he shall tread the courts above, 
The bright abodes of joy and love ; 
But he whose prompt obedience shows, 
His wish to practise what he knows. 

5 One cup of healing oil and wine, 
One offering laid on mercy's shrine, 

Is thrice more grateful, Lord ! to thee, 
Than lifted eye or bended knee. 

HYMN 176. C. M. 

Justice and Equity. 

1 Come, let us search our ways and try : 
Have they been just and right? 



168 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

Is the great rule of equity 
Our practice and delight ? 

2 What we would have our neighbours do, 

Have we still done the same ? 

From others ne'er withheld the due, 

Which we from others claim ? 

3 Have we ne'er envied others' good, 

Ne'er envied others' praise ? 
In no man's path malignant stood, 
Nor used detraction's ways ? 

4 Have we not, deaf to his request, 

Turned from another's wo ? 
The scorn which wrings the sufferer's breast, 
Have we abhorred to show ? 

5 Then may we raise our modest prayer 

To God, the just and kind ; 
May humbly cast on him our care, 
And hope his grace to find. 

'6 Religion's path they never trod, 
Who equity contemn : 
Nor ever are they just to God, 
Who prove unjust to men. 



HYMN 177. 7s. M. 

Love to God and Man. 

1 Father of our feeble race, 
Wise, beneficent, and kind, 



Part in.] SOCIAL VIRTUES. 1 69 

Spread o'er nature's ample face, 
Flows thy goodness unconfined : 
Musing in the silent grove, 
Or the busy walks of men, 
Still we trace thy wondrous love, 
Claiming large returns again. 

2 Lord, what offering shall we bring, 
At thine altars when we bow ? 
Hearts, the pure unsullied spring, 
Whence the kind affections flow ; 
Soft compassion's feeling soul, 

By the melting eye expressed ; 
Sympathy at whose control, 
Sorrow leaves the wounded breast. 

3 Willing hands to lead the blind, 
Bind the wounded, feed the poor ; 
Love, embracing all our kind, 
Charity, with liberal store : 
Teach us, O thou heavenly king, 
Thus to show our grateful mind, 
Thus th' accepted offering bring, 
Love to thee, and all mankind. 



HYMN 173. C. M. 

The Law of Love. Luke x. 30 — 37. 

1 Far from thy servants, God of grace, 
Th' unfeeling heart remove, 
And form in our obedient souls 
The image of thy love. 
15 



170 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part IIL 

2 O may our sympathizing breasts 

The generous pleasure know, 
Kindly to share in others' joy, 
And weep for others' wo ! 

3 Where'er the helpless sons of grief 

In low distress are laid, 
Soft be our hearts their pains to feel, 
And swift our hands to aid. 

4 O be the law of love fulfilled 

In every act and thought ; 
Each angry passion far removed, 
Each selfish view forgot. 

5 Be thou, my heart ! dilated wide 

With this kind social grace ; 
And in one grasp of fervent love, 
All earth and heaven embrace. 



HYMN 179. C. M. 

The Law of Sympathy. 

1 All nature feels attractive power, 

A strong embracing force ; 
The drops that sparkle in the shower, 
The planets in their course. 

2 Thus, in the universe of mind 

Is felt the law of love ; 
The charity, both strong and kind, 
For all that live and move. 



Part III.] SOCIAL VIRTUES. 171 

3 Iii this fine sympathetic chain, 

All creatures bear a part ; 
Their every pleasure, every pain 
Linked to the feeling heart. 

4 More perfect bond ! the christian plan 

Attaches soul to soul ; 
Our neighbour is the suffering man, 
Though at the furthest pole. 

5 To earth below, from heaven above, 

The faith, in Christ professed, 
More clear reveals that God is love. 
And whom he loves is blest. 



HYMN 180. C. M. 

Christian Love from the Example of Christ. 

1 Behold, where, breathing love divine, 

Our dying master stands ! 
His weeping followers, gathering round. 
Receive his last commands. 

2 From that mild teacher's parting lips 

What tender accents fell ! 
The gentle precept which he gave, 
Became its author well. 

3 Blest is the man, whose softening heart 

Feels all another's pain ; 
To whom the supplicating eye 
Was never raised in vain : 



172 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III, 

4 Whose breast'expands with generous warmth, 

A stranger's wo to feel ; 
And bleeds in pity o'er the wound, 
He wants the power to heal. 

5 He spreads his kind supporting arms 

To every child of grief : 
His secret bounty largely flows, 
And brings unasked relief. 

6 To gentle offices of love 

His feet are never slow : 
He views, through mercy's melting eye, 
A brother in a foe. 

7 To him protection shall be shown, 

And mercy from above 
Descend on those who thus fulfil 
The perfect law of love. 



HYMN 181. C. M. 

Love, the most excellent Grace. 1 Cor. xiii. 

1 Happy the heart where graces reign, 

Where love inspires the breast ; 
Love is the brightest of the train, 
And strengthens all the rest. 

2 Knowledge, alas ! 'tis all in vain, 

And all in vain our fear ; 
Our rebel sins will strive and reign, 
If love be absent there. 



Part III.] SOCIAL VIRTUES. 173 

3 Revenge and hate, those fires of hell, 

She quenches with her tongue ; 

Hopes and believes, and thinks no ill 

Though she endures the wrong. 

4 She ne'er desires nor seeks to know 

The scandals of the time ; 
Nor looks with pride on those below, 
Nor envies those that climb. 

5 This is the grace that lives and sings, 

When faith and hope shall cease ; 
'T is this shall strike our joyful strings 
In the sweet realms of bliss. 



HYMN 182. L. M. 

The Properties of Christian Charity. 1 Cor. xiii. 

1 Let men of high conceit and zeal 
Their fervour and their faith proclaim : 
If charity be wanting still, 

The rest is but a sounding name. 

2 Knowledge is apt to bloat the mind, 
And zeal to set the world on fire : 
But charity is calm and kind, 

And gentle thoughts will still inspire. 

3 Patient and meek, she suffers long, 
And slowly her resentments rise : 
Soon she forgets the greatest wrong, 
And rage retires and malice dies. 

15* 



174 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

4 She envies none their better state, 

But makes her neighbour's bliss her own : 
Nor vaunts herself with mind elate, 
But still a modest mien puts on. 

5 This is the grace that reigns on high. 
And brightly will forever burn, 
When hope shall in fruition die, 
And faith to sight triumphant turn. 



HYMN 183. L. M. 

Love to all Mankind. 

1 O God, my Father and my King, 
Of all I have, or hope, the spring ! 
Send down thy spirit from above, 
And fill my heart with heavenly love. 

"1 May I from every act abstain, 
That hurts or gives another pain : 
And bear a sympathizing part, 
Whene'er I meet a wounded heart. 

3 And let my neighbour's prosperous state 
A mutual joy in me create ; • 

His virtuous triumph let me join ; 
His peace and happiness be mine. 

4 And though my neighbour's hate I prove. 
Still let me vanquish hate with love ; 
And every secret wish suppress, 

That would abridge his happiness. 



Part III.] SOCIAL VIRTUES. 175 

5 Let love through all my conduct shine, 
An image fair, though faint, of thine ! 
Thus let me his disciple prove, 
Who came to manifest thy love. 



HYMN 184. C. M. 

Prayer of the Prosperous Man. 

1 Great God of grare ! accept my prayer 

If e'er thy love divine 
Should prosper my assiduous care, 
And affluence be mine : 

2 May poverty dispel her fears, 

And seek my open door ; 
My pitying heart shall own her tears, 
And bid them flow no more. 

3 O bless me with an honest mind, 

Which spurns each selfish end : 
Humanely warm to all mankind, 
And faithful to my friend. 

4 With conscious truth and honour still 

My actions may I guide ; 
And know no fear, but fear of ill, 
Nor scorn, but scorn of pride. 

5 Thee in remembrance may I bear, 

To thee my tribute raise ; 
Conclude each day with fervent prayer, 
And wake each morn with praise. 



176 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

6 Thus through my life may I approve 
The gratitude I owe ; 
And share at length the bliss above, 
I would dispense below. 

HYMN 185. C. M. 

The virtuous Love of Country. 

1 Parent of all ! Omnipotent 

In heaven and earth below ! 
Through all creation's vast extent, 
Whose streams of goodness flow ; 

2 Teach me to know from whence I rose, 

And unto what designed ; 
Nor private aims may I propose, 
Since linked with human kind. 

3 But chief to hear my country's voice, 

May my best thoughts incline ; 
'T is reason's law, and virtue's choice, 
'T is nature's call, and thine. 

4 My heart from freedom's sacred cause 

May nothing e'er divide ; • 
Nor pomp, nor wealth, nor vain applause. 
Nor friendship false, misguide. 

5 To honour, and to virtue true, 

In all my country's weal, 
As I my public walk pursue, 
May God his favour deal ! 



Part HI.] SOCIAL VIRTUES. 177 

HYMN 186. L. M. 

Christian Zeal tempered by Charity. 

1 My God ! whose all-pervading eye 
Sees every passion in my soul ! 
When sunk too low, or raised too high, 
Teach me those passions to control. 

2 Temper the fervours of my frame ; 
Be charity their constant spring ; 
And O, let no unhallowed flame 
Pollute the offerings I bring. 

3 Let peace with piety unite 
To mend the bias of my will ; 

While hope and heaven-eyed faith excite, 
And wisdom regulates my zeal ; 

4 That wisdom which to meekness turns, 
Wisdom descending from above : 

And let my zeal, whene'er it burns, 
Be kindled by the fire of love. 



HYMN 187. & M. 

Christian Unity. 

1 Let party names no more 

The Christian world o'erspread ; 
Gentile and Jew, and bond and free, 
Are one in Christ their head. 

2 Among the saints on earth 

Let mutual love be found ; 



178 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part IIL 

Heirs of the same inheritance, 
With mutual blessings crowned. 

3 Envy and strife, be gone, 
And only kindness known, 

Where all one common Father have, 
One common Master own. 

4 Thus will the church below 
Resemble that above ; 

Where springs of purest pleasure rise, 
And every heart is love. 



HYMN 183. L, M. 

Intolerance absurd and criminal. 

1 Absurd and vain attempt ! to bind 
With earthly bond the free-born mind ; 
To force conviction, and reclaim 

The wandering, by destructive flame. 

2 Bold arrogance ! to snatch from heaven 
Dominion not to mortals given ; 

O'er conscience to usurp the throne, 
Accountable to Gocl alone. 

3 Our Master's gentle law of love 
Doth no such cruelties approve : 
Mild as himself, his doctrine wields 
No arms but what persuasion yields. 

4 By proofs divine, and reason strong, 
It draws the willing mind along ; 



Tart III.] SOCIAL VIRTUES. 179 

And triumphs to his church acquires. 
By eloquence which heaven inspires. 



HYMN 139. L. M. 

Candour. 

1 All-seeing God ! 'tis thine to know 
The springs whence wrong opinion's flow; 
To judge from principles within, 

When frailty errs, and when we sin. 

2 Who among men, great Lord of all ! 
Thy servant to his bar shall call ? 
Judge him, for modes of faith, thy foe, 
And doom him to the realms of wo ? 

3 Who with another's eye can read ? 
Or worship by another's creed ? 
Trusting thy grace, we form our own, 
And bow to thy commands alone. 

4 If wrong, correct ; accept, if right ; 
While faithful, we improve our light, 
Condemning none, but zealous still 
To learn and follow all thy will. 

5 When shall our happy eyes behold 
Thy people fashioned in thy mould : 
And charity our lineage prove, 
Derived from thee, O God of love. 



180 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

HYMN 190. 61 C. M. 

Contentment. 

1 O let us with a grateful mind, 
Take what our Father, ever-kind, 

So liberally bestows ! J 
Yet if our earthly store be small, 
In thankfulness improve it all 

To him from whom it flows. 

2 To be resigned, when ills betide, 
Patient, when favours are denied, 

And pleased with favours given ; 
This, gracious God ! is wisdom's part ; 
This is that incense of the heart, 

Whose fragrance reaches heaven. 

3 Thus thro' life's changing scenes we '11 go, 
Its chequered paths of joy and wo 

With cautious steps we '11 tread ; 
Quit its vain scenes without a tear, 
Without a trouble or a fear, 

And mingle with the dead : 

4 While conscience, like a faithful friend, 
Shall through the gloomy vale attend, 

And cheer our dying breath ; 
Shall, when all other comforts cease, 
Like a kind angel whisper peace, 

And smooth the bed of death. 



Part HI.] PERSONAL VIRTUES. 181 

HYMN 191. S. M. 

Worldly Anxiety reproved. Matt. vi. 34. 

1 Why do I thus perplex 
My life, a breath of air, 

With fears of distant ills, and vex 
My heart with fruitless care ? 

2 Can thought and toil increase 
My days' appointed sum ? 

Why waste I then my time, my peace, 
To hoard for days to come ? 

3 Will he whose bounty gave 
My life, its food deny ? — 

Who formed my nature prone to crave, 
Its cravings not supply ? 

4 They neither sow nor toil, 
The tribes that wing the air, — 

Yet live on his paternal smile, 
Whose bounty all things share. 

5 Then let to-morrow's cares 
Until to-morrow stay : 

The trouble which to-day prepares, 
Suffices for to-day. 

6 To him, these low desires, 
This sordid gain I leave, 

Who to no higher good aspires, 
Than what this world can give. 

7 To nobler work applied, 
My soul shall upward climb : 

16 



182 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

And trust my Father to provide 
The needful things of time. 



HYMN 192, L. M. 

Steadfastness and Watchfulness implored. 

1 O thou ! my Father and my Friend, 
On whom I cast my constant care, 
On whom for all things I depend ! 
To thee I breathe my humble prayer. 

2 Endue me with a holy fear ! 
The secrets of my heart reveal ; 
Sin and its snares are always near, 
Thee may I always nearer feel. 

3 O that to thee my constant mind 
May with a steady flame aspire ; 
Pride in its earliest motions find, 
And check the rise of wrong desire ! 

4 O that my watchful soul may fly 
The first perceived approach of sin ; 
Look up to thee when danger's nigh, 
And feel thy fear control within ! 

5 Search, gracious God ! my inmost heart ; 
From guilt and error set me free ; 

Thy light and truth and peace impart, 
And guide me safe to heaven and thee. 



Part III.] PERSONAL VIRTUES. 1P,3 

HYMN 193. L. M. 

Patience. James i. 4. 

1 Patience, O 'tis a grace divine, 
Sent from the God of peace and love, 
That leans upon its father's arm, 

As through the wilds of life we rove. 

2 By patience, we serenely bear 
The troubles of our mortal state, 
And wait contented our discharge, 
Nor think our glory comes too late. 

3 O for this grace to aid us on, 
And arm with fortitude the breast, 
Till, life's tumultuous voyage o'er, 
Vs e reach the shores of endless rest. 

4 Faith into vision shall resign, 
Hope shall in full fruition die, 
And patience in possession end, 

In the bright worlds of bliss on high. 



HYMN 194. L. M. 

Meekness. 

1 Happy the meek ! whose gentle breast, 
Clear as the summer's evening ray, 
Calm as the regions of the blest, 
Enjoys on earth celestial day. 

2 Far hence is that fierce child of pride, 
Anger, bred up in hate and strife ; 



184 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part Ilfc 

By whom ten thousand ills supplied, 
Mingle the cup of bitter life. 

3 His heart no broken friendships sting, 
No jars his peaceful tent invade ; 
Secure beneath th' Almighty wing. 
And, foe to none, of none afraid. 

4 Spirit of grace all meek and mild ! 
Inspire our breasts, our souls possess : 
Repel each passion rude and wild, 
And bless us as we aim to bless. 



HYMN 195. S. M. 

« Blessed are the Meek." Mat, v. 5. 

1 " Blest are the meek," he said, 
Whose doctrine is divine ; 

The humble-minded earth possess, 
And bright in heaven will shine. 

2 While here on earth they stay, 
Calm peace with them shall dwell 

And cheerful hope and heavenly joy, 
Beyond what tongue can tell. 

3 The God of peace is theirs ; 
They own his gracious sway ; 

And yielding all their wills to him, 
His sovereign laws obey. 

4 No angry passions move, 
No envy fires the breast ; 



Part III.] PERSONAL VIRTUES. 185 

The prospect of eternal peace 
Bids every trouble rest. 

5 O gracious Father ! grant 
That we this influence feel, 

That all we hope, or wish, may be 
Subjected to thy will. 

6 Thus Christ our Lord to own, 
Thus thee in truth obey, 

Ensures us peace and joy on earth, 
And leads to endless day. 



HYMN 196. L. M. 

Personal Virtues. 

1 Awake, my soul, shake off the dream, 
And know thy real excellence ; 

Too long I 've yielded to the stream, 
Borne down by appetite and sense. 

2 Awake, my thought, rouse every power, 
Thy native dignity display : 

Let lust and passion reign no more, 
No longer own their lawless sway. 

3 Thy temper meek and humble be, 
Content and pleased with every state ; 
From dire revenge and envy free, 
And wild ambition to be great. 

16* 



186 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part HI. 

4 Confine thy roving appetites : 

From this vain world withdraw thine eyes ; 
And raise them to those pure delights, 
Which none can taste below the skies. 

5 On wings of faith to heaven ascend. 
By hope anticipate the feast ; 

Y/ith all thy might still upward tend, 
And leave to sensual minds the rest. 



HYMN 197. L. M. 

Humility. 

1 Wherefore should man, frail child of clay, 
Wlio, from the cradle to the shroud, 
Lives but the insect of a day, — 

O why should mortal man be proud ? 

2 His brightest visions just appear, 
Then vanish and no more are found ; 
The stateliest pile his pride can rear, 
A breath may level with the ground. 

3 By doubt perplexed, in error lost, 
With trembling step he seeks his way : 
How vain of wisdom's gift, the boast ! 
Of reason's lamp, how faint the ray ! 

4 Follies and sins, a countless sum, 
Are crowded in life's little span : 
How ill, alas ! does pride become 
That erring, guilty creature, man ! 



Part III.] PERSONAL VIRTUES. 187 

5 God of my life ! Father divine ! 
Give me a meek and lowly mind : 
In modest worth, O let me shine, 
And peace in humble virtue find. 



HYMN 198. L. M. 

Communing- with our Hearts. Ps. iv. 4. 

1 Return, my roving heart, return 

And chase these shadowy forms no more ; 
Seek out some solitude to mourn, 
And thy forsaken God implore. 

2 Wisdom and pleasure dwell at home ; 
Retired and silent seek them there ; 
This is the way to overcome, 

The way to break temptation's snare. 

3 And thou, my God ! whose piercing eye 
Distinct surveys each deep recess, 

In these abstracted hours draw nigh, 
And with thy presence fill the place. 

4 Through all the mazes of my heart 
My search let heavenly wisdom guide : 
And still its radiant beams impart, 
Till all be searched and purified. 

5 Then with the visits of thy love 
Vouchsafe my inmost soul to cheer ; 
Till every grace shall join to prove, 
That God hath fixed his dwelling there. 



1 88 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

HYMN 199. C. M. 

Religious Retirement. 

1 Far from the world, O Lord ! I flee. 

From strife and tumult far ; 
From scenes where sin is waging still 
Its most successful war. 

2 The calm retreat, the silent shade, 

With prayer and praise agree ; 
And seem by thy sweet bounty made 
For those who follow thee. 

3 There, if thy spirit touch the soul, 

And grace her mean abode ; 
O with what peace, and joy, and love, 
Does she commune with God ! 

4 There, like the nightingale, she pours 

Her solitary lays ; 
Nor asks a witness of her song, 
Nor thirsts for human praise. 

5 Author and Guardian of my life, 

Sweet source of light divine ; 

And, all harmonious names in one, 

My Father — thou art mine ! 

6 What thanks I owe thee, and what love, 

A boundless, endless store, 
Shall echo through the realms above, 
When time shall be no more. 



Part IH.] PERSONAL VIRTUES. 189 

HYMN 200. L. M. 

Inward Purity and Tranquillity. 

i O God ! to whose all-searching si^ht 
The darkness shineth as the light, 
Search, prove my heart ; it pants for thee ; 
O burst these bonds and set it free. 

2 Wash out its stains, refine its dross, 
Bind my affections to the cross ; 
Hallow each thought ; cleanse all within 
From the polluting power of sin. 

3 While through this darksome wild I stray, 
My strength proportion to my day ; 

Let joys and sorrows gently flow, 
Nor rise too high nor sink too low. 

4 My restless passions, Lord ! restrain, 
And in my soul unrivalled reign ; 
Then with whatever loads oppressed, 
Centred in thee my soul shall rest. 

5 O when shall my still-wavering mind 
This sweetest self-possession find ! 
Fountain of joy ! I long to see 

In thee my peace, my heaven in thee. 



HYMN 201. L. M. 

Retirement and Meditation. 



1 My God ! permit me not to be 
A stranger to myself and thee : 



190 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part III. 

Amid a thousand thoughts I rove, 
Forgetful of my highest love. 

2 Why should my passions mix with earth, 
And thus debase my heavenly birth ? 
Why should I cleave to things below, 
And let my God, my Saviour, go ? 

o Call me away from flesh and sense ; 
Thy gracious word can draw me thence ; 
I would obey the voice divine, 
And all inferior joys resign. 

4 Be earth with all her scenes withdrawn ; 
Let noise and vanity be gone : 
In secret silence of the mind, 
My heaven, and there my God I find. 



HYMN 202. L. M. 

A Conversation becoming" the Gospel. Titus ii. 10 — 13. 

1 So let our lips and lives express 
The holy gospel we profess, . 

So let our works and virtues shine, 
To prove the doctrine all divine. 

2 Thus shall we best proclaim abroad, 
The honours of our Saviour God, 
When the salvation reigns within, 
And grace subdues the power of sin. 



partIII.] personal virtues. 191 

3 Our flesh and sense must be denied, 
Passion and envy, lust and pride; 

While justice, temperance, truth, and love, 
Our inward piety approve. 

4 What though we drink of sorrow's cup ? — 
Religion bears our spirits up, 

Hope waits the coming of the Lord, 
And faith stands leaning on his word. 



HYMN 203. C. M. 

Uiifruitfulness under Gospel Privileges. 

1 O God! thy gracious aid impart 

To bend our wills to thine ; 
Melt our whole souls, and let them flow, 
And take the mould divine. 

2 The gracious truths which Jesus brought, 

How oft our ears have heard ! 
Yet still how weak our faith is found, 
And knowledge of thy word ! 

3 How cold and feeble is our love ! 

How negligent our fear ! 
How low our hope of joys above ! 
How few affections there ! 

4 O deep impress that perfect law, 

Which noblest freedom gives : 
And let it all our souls refine, 
And sanctify our lives. 



192 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. [Part HI. 

5 Not with a transient glance surveyed. 

And in an hour forgot, 
But deep inscribed on every heart, 
To reign o'er every thought. 

6 Teach our forgetful feet the way 

That leads to joys above ; 
Devotion then shall fire the breast, 
And the whole soul be love. 



HYMN 204. L. M. 

Personal and prevailing- Sins lamented and deprecated. 

1 My God ! what inward grief I feel 
When impious men transgress thy will ; 
Mine ears are pained when lips profane 
Take thy tremendous name in vain. 

2 O let my soul indignant hate 
The arts of malice and deceit ; 
And far from their communion flee, 
Who dare revile thy laws and thee. 

3 Let pious friendship, when I stray, 
Mark and reprove my wandering way ! 
Its gentle words from hearts as kind, 
Shall comfort while they heal the mind. 

4 Thou, who discernest all my heart, 
And all my life in every part, 
Unseal my partial eyes to see 
What guilt in either there may be. 



Part III.] PENITENTIAL AFFECTIONS. ] 93 

5 Doth secret mischief lurk within ? 
Do I indulge some unknown sin ? 
O turn my feet whene'er I stray, 
And guide me in thy perfect way ! 



HYMN 205. 7s. M. 

Freedom from Error, Guilt, and Folly. Ps. xix. 15. 

1 Blest Instructer ! from thy ways, 
Who can tell how oft he strays ? 
Save from error's growth our mind, 
Leave not, Lord, one root behind. 

2 Purge us from the guilt that lies 
Wrapt within our hearts' disguise ; 
Let us thence, by thee renewed, 
Each presumptuous sin exclude. 

3 So our lot shall ne'er be joined 
With the men, whose impious mind, 
Fearless of thy just command, 
Braves the vengeance of thy hand. 

4 Let our tongues, from error free, 
Speak the words approved by thee ; 
To thine all-observing eyes 

Let our thoughts accepted rise. 

5 While we thus thy name adore, 
And thy healing grace implore, 
Blest Instructer ! bow thine ear : 
God, our strength ! propitious hear. 

17 



194 PENITENTIAL AFFECTIO NS. [Part III 

HYMN 206. 7s. M. 

A Penitential Hymn. 

1 God of mercy ! God of love ! 
Hear our sad repentant songs ; 
Listen to thy suppliant race, 
Thou to whom all grace belongs. 

2 Deep regret for follies past, 
Talents wasted, time mispent ; 
Hearts debased by worldly cares, 
Thankless for the blessings lent; — 

3 Foolish fears and fond desires, 
Vain regrets for things as vain ; 
Lips too seldom taught to praise, 
Oft to murmur and complain; — 

4 These, and every secret fault, 
Filled with grief and shame, we own ; 
Humbled at thy feet we lie, 
Seeking pardon from thy throne. 

3 God of mercy ! God of grace ! 
Hear our sad repentant songs ; 
O restore thy suppliant race, 
Thou to whom our praise belongs ! 



HYMN 207. L. M. 

Supplication to the Searcher of Hearts. 

1 Searcher of hearts ! my thoughts review ; 
With kind severity pursue 



Part III.] PENITENTIAL AFFECTIONS. 195 

Through each disguise thy servant's mind, 
Nor leave one stain of guilt behind. 

2 What is my state ? My soul, awake 
Severest scrunity to make ; 

Does no dark sign, no ground of fear, 
In practice or in heart appear ? 

3 What image does my spirit bear ? 
Is Jesus formed and living there ? 
Say, do his lineaments divine 

In thought, and word, and action shine ? 

4 Searcher of hearts ! O search me still ; 
The secrets of my soul reveal : 

My fears removed, let me appear 

To God and my own conscience clear. 

5 Scatter the clouds that o'er my head 
Their dubious gloom and terror spread : 
Lead me into celestial day, 

And to myself, myself display. 



HYMN 208. C. M. 

Inconstancy in the Christian Life lamented. Hos. vi. 4. 

1 Perpetual Source of light and grace ! 
We hail thy sacred name ; 
Through every year's revolving round, 
Thy goodness is the same. 



On us, unworthy as we are, 
Its wondrous mercy pours ; 



196 PENITENTIAL AFFECTIONS. [Part 111' 

Sure as the heavens' established course. 
And plenteous as the showers. 

3 Inconstant service we repay, 

And treacherous vows renew ; 
Which pass away as morning clouds, 
And as the early dew. 

4 Low at thy feet our guilt we mourn, 

And ask thy constant grace, 
To bear our feeble footsteps on, 
In all thy righteous ways. 

5 Armed with this energy divine, 

Our souls shall constant prove, 
And, with increasing transport, press 
On to thy courts above. 

6 So, by thy power, the morning sun 

Pursues his radiant way, 
Brightens each moment in his race. 
And shines to perfect day. 



HYMN 209. L. flE 

Contrite Supplication. Ps. li. 

1 O God of pity ! hear, forgive ; 
Let a repenting rebel live : 

Are not thy mercies large and free ? 
May not the contrite trust in thee ? 

2 My sins, though great, cannot surpass 
The power and glory of thy grace : 



Part III.] PENITENTIAL AFFECTIONS. 197 

Great God ! thy nature hath no bound, 
So let thy pardoning love be found. 

3 O wash my soul from every stain, 
Nor let the guilt I mourn remain : 
Here on my heart the burden lies, 
And past offences pain mine eyes. 

4 With shame my numerous sins I trace 
Against thy law, against thy grace ; 
And though my prayer thou shouldst not 

hear, 
My doom is just and thou art clear. 

5 Yet save a penitent, O Lord ! 

Whose hope, still hovering round thy word, 
Would light on some kind promise there, 
Some sure support against despair. 



HYMN 210. S. M. 

Absence from God. 

1 O thou, whose mercy hears 
Contrition's humble sigh ; 

Whose hand indulgent wipes the tears 
From sorrow's weeping eye ! 

2 See low before thy throne 

A wretched wanderer mourn ; 
Hast thou not bid me seek thy face ? 
Hast thou not said, — Return ? 
17* 



198 PENITENTIAL AFFECTIONS. [Part 111 

3 Absent from thee, my light ; 
Without one cheering ray ; 

Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night. 
How desolate my way ! 

4 On this benighted heart 
With beams of mercy shine ; 

And let thy healing voice impart 
A taste of joys divine, 

5 Thy presence can bestow 
Delights which never cloy : 

Be this my solace here below. 
And my eternal joy ! 



HYMN 211. C. M. 

Hope in the Divine Mercy. 

When rising from the bed of death, 
Overwhelmed with guilt and fear, 

I see my Maker face to face, 
O how shall I appear ! 

If yet while pardon may be found, 

And mercy may be sought, 
My heart with inward horror shrinks, 

And trembles at the thought ; 

When thou, O Lord ! shalt stand disclosed 

In majesty severe, 
And sit in Judgment on my soul ; 

O how shad 1 appear! 



Part III.] PENITENTIAL AFFECTIONS. 199 

4 But there 's forgiveness, Lord, with thee ; 

Thy nature is benign ; 
Thy pardoning mercy I implore, 
For mercy, Lord, is thine. 

5 O let thy boundless mercy shine 

On my benighted soul ! 
Correct my passions, mend my heart, 
And all my fears control. 

6 And may I taste thy richer grace 

In that decisive hour, 
When Christ to judgment shall descend, 
And time shall be no more. 



HYMN 212. 61 L. M. 

Prayer of the dejected Penitent. Ps. cxxx. 

FPtOM depths of sadness and distress, 
From gloomy mazes of despair, 
Thy throne of mercy Ave address ; 
Deign, O our God ! to hear our prayer 
O let thine ear indulge our grief, 
For thine indulgence is relief! 

Shouldst thou, O God ! minutely scan 
Our faults, and as severely chide ; 
No mortal seed of sinful man 
Could such a scrutiny abide ; 
But mercy shines in all thy ways, 
Bright theme of universal praise ! 



200 PENITENTIAL AFFECTIONS. [Part III. 

3 With longing eyes we seek the Lord, 
Before his throne our souls attend : 
Firmly on his eternal word 

Our faith is fixed, our hopes depend : 
On wings of love our souls shall rise 
In contemplation to the skies, 

4 Ye contrite minds ! on God rely ; 
In season he will grace impart, 
Will send redemption from on high^ 
And sooth the penitential heart : 
For mercy shines in all his ways, 
Bright theme of universal praise ! 



HYMN 213. S. M. 

Peace to the returning- Penitent. 

1 Sweet is the friendly voice, 
That speaks of life and peace ; 

That bids the penitent revive, 
And all his anguish cease. 

2 No balm on earth beside 
Can cheer the contrite heart ; 

No flattering dreams of earthly bliss, 
Such pure delight impart. 

3 Still merciful and kind, 
That mercy, Lord ! reveal : 

The broken heart 'tis thou canst bind, 
The wounded spirit heal. 



Part III.] PENITENTIAL AFFECTIONS. 201 

4 Thy presence can restore 
Peace to my anxious breast ; 

And aid me in the path that leads 
To everlasting rest. 

5 Let me with wilful mind 
No more thy laws offend : 

Then shall I know nor guilt nor fear. 
If thou be still my friend. 



HYMN 214. C. M. 

Mercy to the Penitent. 

O thou, the wretched's sure retreat, 

Who dost our cares control, 
And with the cheerful smile of peace 



Revive the fainting soul 



Did ever thy propitious ear 

The humble plea disdain ? 
Or when did plaintive misery sigh, 

Or supplicate in vain ? 

Oppressed with grief and shame, dissolved 

In penitential tears ; 
Thy goodness calms our anxious doubts, 

And dissipates our fears. 

New life from thy refreshing grace 

Our sinking hearts receive ; 
Thy gentlest, best-loved attribute, 

To pity and forgive. 



202 PRIVILEGES OF [Part III. 

5 From that blest source, propitious hope 

Shines forth serenely bright, 
And sheds her soft and cheering beam 
O'er sorrow's dismal night. 

6 Our hearts adore thy mercy, Lord, 

And bless the friendly ray, 
Which ushers in the smiling morn 
Of everlasting day. 



HYMN 215. C. M. 

The lasting 1 Peace of a virtuous Course. 

1 The sacred joy which virtue brings, 

The lasting joy of truth, 
Depends not on the blooming scene, 
The scene of transient youth. 

2 Through nature's great and constant change. 

Unconscious of decay, 
It views unmoved the scythe of time 
Sweep all besides away. 

3 Fixed on their own unchanging base, 

Eternal are these joys ; 
While borne on transitory wings 
Each mortal pleasure flies. 

4 While every short-lived flower of sense, 

Destructive years consume, 
Through virtue's fair, delightful walk, 
Unfading myrtles bloom. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 203 

5 Nor with the narrow bounds of time 
The beauteous prospect ends, 
But lengthened through the vale of death, 
To paradise extends. 



HYMN 216. C. M. 

The Influence of Habitual Piety. 

1 Blest is the man who fears the Lord ! 

His well established mind, 
In every varying scene of life, 
Shall true composure find. 

2 Oft through the deep and stormy sea 

The heavenly footsteps lie ; 
But on a glorious world beyond, 
His faith can fix its eye. 

3 Though dark his present prospects be, 

And sorrows round him dwell, 
Yet hope can whisper to his soul, 
That all shall issue well. 

4 Full in the presence of his God 

Through every scene he goes ; 
And fearing him, no other fear 
His steadfast bosom knows. 

5 No dangers can his soul alarm, 

No gloomy views affright ; 
For faith assures his humble heart, 
Whatever is, is right. 



204 PRIVILEGES OE [Part III. 

HYMN 217. L. M. 

A Good Conscience the best Support. 

1 While some in folly's pleasures roll, 
And court the joys which hurt the soul ; 
Be mine that silent, calm repast, 

A peaceful conscience to the last ; — 

2 That tree which bears immortal fruit, 
Without a canker at the root ; 

That friend, who never fails the just, 
When other friends betray their trust. 

3 With this companion, in the shade 
My soul no more shall be dismayed ; 
But fearless meet the midnight gloom, 
And the pale monarch of the tomb. 

4 Though heaven afflict, shall T repine ? 
The noblest comforts still are mine ; 
Comforts which over death prevail, 
And journey with me through the vale. 

5 Amidst the various scenes of ills, 
Each stroke some kind design fulfils : 
And shall I murmur at my God, 
When love supreme directs the rod ? 

6 His hand will smooth my rugged way, 
And lead me to the realms of day ; 
To milder skies and brighter plains, 
Where everlasting pleasure reigns. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 205 

HYMN 213. C. M. 

God the Christian's Refuge. 

1 When storms bans; o'er the Christian's head. 



He flies to meet his God 
id under his refreshin 
Finds a secure abode. 



And under his refreshing shade 



2 When foes and fears of every name 

Assail his inward peace, 
Those foes his God will put to shame. 
And cause those fears to cease. 

3 But when tremendous terrors seize, 

Where will the sinner fly ? 
He feels a thousand agonies, 
And no deliverer nigh ! 

4 Then fly, my soul, the tents of sin ; 

How false her joys appear ! 
Noise and confusion dwell within ; 
Peace is a stranger there. 

5 The men who keep the laws of God, 

His choicest blessings share ; 
Or if he lifts his chastening rod, 
'T is with a Father's care. 

6 His mighty power shall guard the just, 

His wisdom point their way ; 
His eye shall watch their sleeping dust, 
His hand revive their clay. 
18 



206 PRIVILEGES OF [Part HI. 

HYMN 219. C. M. 

The inward Life of the Christian. Col. iii. 3. 

1 O happy soul, that lives on high, 

While men lie grovelling here ! 
His hopes are fixed above the sky, 
And faith forbids his fear. 

2 His conscience knows no secret stings, 

While grace and joy combine 
To form a life, whose holy springs 
Are hidden and divine. 

3 He waits in secret on his God ; 

His God in secret sees : 
Let earth be all in arms abroad, 
He dwells in heavenly peace. 

4 His pleasures rise from things unseen, 

Beyond this world and time ; 
Where neither eyes nor ears have been, 
Nor thoughts of mortals climb. 

5 He wants no pomp nor royal throne 

To raise his honours here ; 
Content and pleased to live unknown, 
Till Christ, his life, appear. 



HYMN 220. L. M. 

The Safety and Happiness of the true Christian. 

1 Lord ! how secure and blest is he, 
Who feels the joys of pardoned sin ! 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 207 

Lot tempests shake the earth and sea, 
His mind hath peace and heaven within. 

2 What honour and what bliss unite 
The precious name he wears, to raise ! 
Fair is the scene and clear the light, 
That fills the remnant of his days. 

3 With joy he reads forgiveness sealed, 
From God derives renewing strength, 
And tastes his boundless love revealed 
In all its height and breadth and length. 

4 The thoughts of home his spirit cheer, 
No more he grieves for troubles past, 
Nor future trials waken fear, 

So he may safe arrive at last, 

5 Nearest the throne and first in song, 
Such shall the grateful tribute raise, 
While angel-hosts around them throng;, 
And swell the chorus of their praise. 



HYMN 221. C. M. 

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked. Ps. i. 

1 Blest is the man who shuns the place 
Where sinners love to meet : 
Who fears to tread in folly's ways, 
And hates the scoffer's seat. 



208 PRIVILEGES OF [Part lit 

2 But in thy perfect statutes, Lord ! 
H as placed his chief delight ; 
By day devoutly reads thy word, 
And meditates by night. 

% He like a tree of generous kind 
By living waters set, 
Safe from the storm and blasting wind, 
Enjoys a peaceful state. 

4 Green as the leaf and ever fair 

Shall his profession shine ; 
While fruits of holiness appear 
Like clusters on the vine. 

5 Not so the impious and unjust : 

What vain designs they form ; 
Their hopes are swept away like dust, 
Or chaff before the storm. 

6 How shall they bear at last to stand 

Before that judgment seat, 
Where all the saints at thy right hand 
In full assembly meet ? 



HYMN 222, L. M. 

Virtue the Source of Peace. Ps. i. 

O blest is he, divinely blest, 
Whose heart no guilty thoughts employ I 
God's endless sunshine fills his breast, 
And conscience whispers peace and joy. 



Fart III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 209 

2 Pure rectitude's unerring way 

His heaven-conducted steps pursue ; 
While crowds in guilt and error stray, 
Unstained his soul, and bright his view. 

3 By God's almighty arm sustained, 
Thus virtue soon or late shall rise ; 
Enjoy her conquest, nobly gained, 
And share the triumph of the skies. 

4 But fools, to sacred wisdom blind, 
Who sin's alluring call obey, 

Far other fate at last shall find, 
And fall, destruction's easy prey. 



HYMN 223. C. M. 

God's Chastisements not vindictive. 

1 Great Ruler of all nature's frame ! 

We own thy power divine ; 
We hear thy breath in every storm, 
For all the winds are thine. 

2 The hand that now withholds my joys, 

Can reinstate my peace ; 
And he who bade the tempest roar, 
Can bid the tempest cease. 

3 How off, when black misfortune's band 

Around their victim stood, 
The seeming ill, at thy rebuke, 
Hath changed to real good. 
18* 



210 PRIVILEGES OF [Part III. 

4 Tlrs truth oft shown, shall teach me well 

To feel for others' wo ; 
And humbly seek with deep concern 
My own defects to know. 

5 Mercy impels the mournful stroke, 

That would our bosoms free 
From earthly care and sensual joy, 
And turn our thoughts to thee. 

6 That mercy tempers every blast 

To them that seek thy face ; 
And mingles with the whirlwind's roar. 
The whispers of thy grace. 



HYMN 224. L. M. 

The Divine Benignity. 

1 How well our great Protector knows 
To weigh, and to relieve our woes ! 
And on his arm who place their trust* 
Shall find that confidence was just. 

2 How prompt his favour to dispense 
Its life-imparting influence ! 

How speedy his paternal Jove 
Our deep afflictions to remove ! 

3 Grief for a night, obtrusive guest ! 
Beneath our roof perchance may rest ; 
But joy, with the returning day, 
Shall wipe each transient tear away. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 211 

4 Since thou wilt hearken to my prayer, 
Again the face of joy I wear : 

Thy strength my fainting spirit cheers, 
And checks my griefs, and calms my fears. 

5 With what delight, great God, I trace 
The acts of thy stupendous grace ! 

To count them, were to count the sand 
That lies upon the sea- beat strand. 



HYMN 225. C. M. 

" He bealetli the broken in heart and biadeth up their 
wounds." Ps. cxlvii. 3. 

1 When reft of all, and hopeless care 

Would sink us to the tomb, 
What power shall save us from despair, 
W f hat dissipate the gloom ? 

2 No balm that earthly plants distil, 

Can sooth the mourner's smart ; 
No mortal hand with lenient skill 
Bind up the broken heart. 

3 But One alone, who reigns above, 

Our wo to joy can turn, 
And light the lamp of life and love, 
That long has ceased to burn. 

4 Then, O my soul ! to that One flee, 

To God thy woes reveal ; 
His eye alone thy wounds can see, 
His power alone can heal. 



212 PRIVILEGES OF [Part HI. 

HYMN 226. C. M. 

The Comforts of Religion. 

1 When gloomy thoughts and boding fears 
The trembling heart invade, 
And all the face of nature wears 
An universal shade : 



2 Religion's dictates can assua 



i & 



g e 



The tempest of the soul ; 
And every storm shall cease to rage 
At her divine control. 

3 Through life's bewildered, darksome way, 

Her hand unerring leads ; 
And o'er the path her heavenly ray 
A cheering; lustre sheds. 

4 When feeble reason, tired and blind, 

Sinks helpless and afraid ; 
Thou blest supporter of the mind ! 
How powerful is thine aid : 

5 O let my heart confess thy power, 

And find thy sweet relief, 
To brighten every gloomy hour, 
And soften every grief. 



HYMN 227. C. M. 

Consolatory Views of Nature and Providence. 

1 The God of heaven is kind and just : — 
O let not man complain, 



PjvrtIII.] the christian life. 213 

His righteous providence distrust, 
His high decrees arraign. 

2 Though clouds should darken all the scene, 

Be this thy steadfast aim, 
Still to preserve a mind serene, 
And free from guilt and shame. 

3 The lowliest flowers that deck the' field, 

Thy mute instructers are ; 
And wholesome admonition yield 
Against corroding care. 

4 Oh ! listen to kind nature's voice : 

To heaven direct thine eyes ; 
There nobler objects claim thy choice, 
And brighter prospects rise. 

5 Far from anxiety and care, 

Still seek that blissful shore, 
Where discontent and dark despair 
Shall rend thy heart no more. 



HYMN 228. C. M. 

God the Source of Consolation and Health. 

1 To calm the sorrows of the mind, 

Thou, gracious Friend ! art nigh, 
To wipe the anxious tear that starts, 
Or trembles in the eve. 

2 Thou canst, when anguish rends the heart, 

The secret wo control ; 



214 PRIVILEGES OF [Fart 111 

The inward malady canst heal, 
The sickness of the soul. 

3 Thou canst repress the rising sigh, 

Canst sooth each mortal care ; 
And every deep and heart-felt groan 
Is wafted to thine ear. 

4 Thy gracious eye is watchful still ; 

Thy potent arm can save 
From threatening danger and disease 
And the devouring grave. 

5 When, pale and languid all the frame, 

The ruthless hand of pain 
Arrests the feeble powers of life, 
The help of man is vain. 

6 5 T is thou, great God ! alone canst check 

The progress of disease ; 
And sickness, awed by power divine, 
Thy high command obeys. 

7 Eternal Source of life and health, 

And every bliss we feel ! 
In sorrow and in joy, to thee 
Our grateful hearts appeal. 



HYMN 229. 61 L. M. 

The Memory and Prospects of the good Man blessed. Ps. cxii 

1 Blest is the man, who stands in awe 
Of God, and fears his sacred law ; 
He gains on earth a fair renown : 



Part HI.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 215 

While sinners with their hopes decay, 
lie shall enjoy an endless day, 
A heavenly, an immortal crown. 

2 His hands while they his alms bestow, 
His glory's future harvest sow ; 

The sweet remembrance of the just, 
Like a green root, revives and bears 
A train of blessings for his heirs, 

When dying nature sleeps in dust. 

3 Beset with threatening dangers round, 
Unmoved shall he maintain his ground, 

His conscience bears his courage up; 
The soul that 's filled with virtue's light, 
Shines brightest in affliction's night, 

And sees in darkness beams of hope. 



HYMN 230. C. M. 

The Everlasting Covenant. 2. Sam. xxiii. 5. 

My God ! the covenant of thy love 

Abides forever sure ; 
And in its matchless grace, we feel 

Our happiness secure. 

What though our house be not with thee. 

As nature could desire ; — 
To higher joys than nature gives, 

Our nobler views aspire. 



216 PRIVILEGES OF [Part III. 

3 Since thou, the everlasting God, 

Our Father art become ; 
Jesus our guardian and our friend, 
And heaven our final home ; — 

4 We welcome all thy sovereign will, 

For all that will is love ; 
And when thy providence is dark, 
We wait the light above. 

5 What though our mortal comforts fade, 

And droop like withering flowers ? 
Nor time, nor death shall break that band, 
Which makes Jehovah ours. 



HYMN 231. C. M. 

Encouragement from the Experience of God's Goodness. 
Ps. xxxiv. 

1 Through all the changing scenes of life, 

In trouble and in joy, 
The praises of my God shall still 
My heart and tongue employ. 

2 The hosts of God encamp around 

The dwellings of the just ; 
Deliverance he affords to all, 
Who on his succour trust. 

3 O ! make but trial of his love, 

Experience will decide, 
How blest they are, and only they. 
Who in his truth confide. 



P^rt III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 217 

4 Fear him, ye saints ; and you will then 
Have nothing else to fear : 
Make you his service your delight, 
Your wants shall be his care. 



HYMN 232. L. M. 

Confidence of good Men in the Divine Faithfulness. 

1 Praise, everlasting praise be paid 
To him who earth's foundations laid ; 
Praise to the God, whose sovereign will 
All nature's laws and powers fulfil. 

2 Praise to the goodness of the Lord, 
Who rules his people by his word ; 
Where faith contemplates his decrees, 
And every gracious promise sees. 

3 There may the humble, pious mind, 
Support in all its troubles find ; 
And on that mighty arm may stay, 
Whose power the earth and heavens display. 

4 Whence then arise distressing fears ? 
Why do we still indulge our tears ? 
Or why without those comforts live, 
Our God and Father waits to give ? 



O for a strong and lasting faith, 
To credit what th' Almighty saith ; 
T' embrace the message of his son, 
And call the joys of heaven our own. 
19 



18 PRIVILEGES OF [Part III. 

Should earth then to its cei ¥^*^ke, 
And all the wheels of nature'^i^ 
Our steadfast souls should fear no mo 
Than ocean's base when tempests roar. 



HYMN 233. C. M. 

God the Refuge of the troubled Mind. 

1 My God ! the visits of thy face 

Afford superior joy 
To all that charms this thoughtless race, 
Or can their hopes employ. 

2 To thee I tell each rising grief, 

For thou alone canst heal ; 
Thy promises bring sweet relief 
For every pain I feel. 

3 But when distressing doubts prevail, 

I fear to call thee mine ; 
The springs of comfort seem to fail, 
And all my hopes decline. 

4 Yet, gracious God ! where shall I flee ? 

Thou art my only trust ; 
And still my soul would rise to thee, 
Though prostrate in the dust. 

5 Hast thou not bid me seek thy face ? 

And shall I seek in vain ? 
And can the ear of sovereign grace 
Be deaf when I complain ? 



Part [II.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 219 

G Thy mercy-seat is open still, 
There shall my soul retreat ; 
With humble hope attend thy will, 
And wait beneath thy seat. 



HYMN 234. L. M. 

Christian Patience, Consolation, and Hope. 

1 And is there, then, no lenient art, 
To heal the anguish of the heart ? 
To ease the heavy load of care 
Which nature must, but cannot bear ? 

2 Can reason's dictates be obeyed ? 
Too weak, alas ! her strongest aid ; 
O let religion then be nigh, 

Her consolations cannot die. 

3 Her powerful aid supports the soul, 
And nature owns her kind control ; 
While she unfolds the sacred page, 
Our fiercest griefs resign their rage. 

4 Then, gentle patience smiles on pain, 
And dying hope revives again ; 

Hope wipes the tear from sorrow's eye, 
And faith points upward to the sky : 

5 The promise guides her ardent flight, 
And joys, unknown to sense, invite 
Those blissful regions to explore, 
Where pleasure blooms to fade no more. 



220 PRIVILEGES OF [Part III. 

HYMN 235. 61 C. M. 

The Attractiveness of Religion, 

1 Soft are the fruitful showers that bring 
The welcome promise of the spring, 

And soft the vernal gale : 
Sweet the wild warblings of the grove, 
The voice of nature and of love, 

That gladden every vale. 

2 But softer in the mourner's ear, 
Sounds the mild voice of mercy near, 

That whispers sins forgiven ; 
And sweeter far the music swells, 
When to the raptured soul she tells 

Of peace and promised heaven. 

3 Fair are the flowers that deck the ground .: 
And groves and gardens blooming round, 

Unnumbered charms unfold : 
Bright is the sun's meridian ray, 
And bright the beams of setting day, 

That robe the clouds in gold. 

4 But far more fair the pious breast, 
In richer robes of goodness drest, 

Where heaven's own graces shine ; 
And brighter far the prospects rise, 
That burst on faith's delighted eyes 

From glories all divine. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 221 

HYMN 236. C. M. 

Faith. 

1 Ah ! why should this mistaken mind 

Still rove with restless pain ? 
Delight on earth expect to find, 
Yet still expect in vain ? 

2 Faith, rising upwards, points her view 

To regions in the skies ; 
There, lovelier scenes than Eden knew, 
In bright perspective rise. 

3 0! if this heaven-born grace were mine, 

Would not my spirit soar, 
Transported gaze on joys divine, 
And cleave to earth no more ? 

4 Thou power, from whose almighty breath 

It first began to rise, 
Purge off these mists, these dregs of earth, 
And bid it reach the skies. 

5 Let this weak, erring mind no more 

On earth bewildered rove ; 
But with celestial ardour soar 
To endless joys above. 



HYMN 237. C. M. 

The Power of Faith. 

1 Faith adds new charms to earthly bliss. 
And saves us from its snares ; 
19* 



222 DIFFICULTIES OF [Part III. 

Its aid in every duty brings, 
And softens all our cares : 

2 Extinguishes the thirst of sin, 

And lights the sacred fire 
Of love to God, and heavenly things, 
And feeds the pure desire. 

3 The wounded conscience knows its power 

The healing balm to give ; 
That balm the saddest heart can cheer, 
And make the dying live. 

4 Wide it unveils celestial worlds 

Where deathless pleasures reign, 
And bids us seek our portion there, 
Nor bids us seek in vain. 

5 On that bright prospect may we rest 

Till this frail body dies ; 
And then, on faith's triumphant wings. 
To endless glory rise. 



HYMN 238. C. M. 

Aspirations after perfect Obedience. Ps. cxrx. 

O that the Lord would guide my ways 

To keep his statutes still ; 
O that my God would grant me grace 

To know and do his will. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 223 

2 Since I 'm a stranger here below, 

My path let nothing hide ; 
But mark the road my feet should go, 
And be my constant guide. 

3 Order my footsteps by thy word, 

And make my soul sincere ; 
Let sin have no dominion, Lord ! 
But keep my conscience clear. 

4 How would I run in thy commands, 

If thou my heart discharge 
From sin and passion's hateful bands, 
And set my feet at large ! 

5 My lips with courage shall declare 

Thy statutes and thy name, 
Whatever loss or scorn I bear, 
Nor yield to sinful shame. 

6 Aid me to walk in thy commands 

Through life's uncertain road ; 
Nor let my head, or heart, or hands, 
Offend against my God. 



HYMN 239. L. M. 

Exemplary Virtue. 

Ah ! worldly souls, who strive in vain., 
To folly slaves, and slaves to sin ! 
A nobler toil may I sustain, 
A nobler satisfaction win. 



224 DIFFICULTIES OF [Part III. 

2 May I resolve with all my heart, 

With all my powers to serve thee, Lord ! 
Nor from thy precepts e'er depart, 
Whose service is a rich reward. 

3 O be that service all my joy ! 
Around let my example shine, 
Till others love the blest employ, 
And join in labour so divine, 

4 Be this the purpose of my soul, 
My solemn, my determined choice, 
To yield to thy supreme control, 
And in thy kind commands rejoice. 

5 O may I never faint nor tire, 

Nor, wandering, leave thy sacred ways ; 
Great God ! accept my soul's desire, 
And give me strength to live thy praise. 



HYMN 240. L. M. 

The Day of Probation and Hope. Eccles. ix. 

1 Life is the time to serve thee, Lord ! 
The time t' insure thy great reward ; 
And while the lamp holds out to burn, 
To thee the sinner may return. 

2 Life is the season thou hast given, 
To fit us for the joys of heaven ; 
Fast fleets that hour of grace away, 
And who its rapid course can stay ? 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 225 

5 The living know that they must die ; 
But all the dead unconscious lie ; 
Their memory and their sense are gone, 
Alike unknowing and unknown. 

4 There are no acts of pardon passed 
In the cold grave to which we haste ; 
Oblivion, darkness, and despair, 
Still reign in gloomy silence there. 

5 Then the great work we have to do, 
Let us with all our might pursue : 
And wisely every hour employ, 
Till faith and hope are lost in joy. 



HYMN 241. C. M. 

Heavenly Wisdom implored through the Perils of Life. 

1 Father of light ! conduct my feet 

Through life's dark, dangerous road ; 
Let each advancing step still bring 
Me nearer to my God. 

2 Let heaven-eyed prudence be my guide. 

And, when I go astray, 
Recall my feet from folly's path 
To wisdom's better way. 

3 Teach me in every various scene 

To keep my end in sight ; 
And while I tread life's mazy track, 
Let wisdom guide me right. 



226 DIFFICULTIES OF [Part lit. 

4 That heavenly wisdom from above 

Abundantly impart ; 
And let it guard, and guide, and warm, 
And penetrate my heart ; 

5 Till it shall lead me to thyself, 

Fountain of bliss and love ! 
And all my darkness be dispersed 
In endless light above. 



HYMN 242. L. M. 

Heavenly Guidance implored. 

1 Amidst a world of hopes and fears, 
A wild of cares, and toils, and tears, 
Where foes alarm and dangers threat, 
And pleasures kill, and glories cheat : 

2 Shed down, O Lord ! a heavenly ray 
To guide me in the doubtful way, 
And o'er me hold thy shield of power, 
To guard me in the dangerous hour. 

3 Each noble principle impart ; 

The faith which sanctifies the heart, 
Hope that to heaven's high vault aspires, 
And love that warms with holiest fires. 

4 Teach me the flattering paths to shun, 
In which the thoughtless many run, 
Who for a shade the substance miss, 
And grasp their ruin in their bliss. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 227 

5 May never pleasure, wealth, or pride, 
Allure my wandering soul aside ; 
But through this maze of mortal ill, 
Safe lead me to thy heavenly hill. 



HYMN 243. C. M. 

Hum^n Fndlty. 

1 Weak and irresolute is man: 

The purpose of to-day, 
Woven with pains into his plan, 
To-morrow rends away. 

2 Some foe to his upright intent, 

Finds out his weaker part ; 
Virtue engages his assent, 
But pleasure wins his heart. 

3 Bound on a voyage of awful length, 

Through dangers little known : 
A stranger to superior strength, 
Man vainly trusts his own. 

4 But oars alone can ne'er prevail 

To reach the distant coast ; 
The breath of heaven must swell the sail, 
Or all the toil is lost. 



HYMN 244. L. M. 

Perseverance in the Religious Life. Matt v;i. ] 3, 1 \. 

1 Broad is the road that leads to death, 
And thousands walk together there ; 



228 DIFFICULTIES OF [Part III. 

While wisdom shows a narrow path, 
With here and there a traveller. 

2 " Deny thyself, and take thy cross," 
Is the Redeemer's great command ; 
Nature must count her gold but dross, 
If she would win this heavanly land. 

3 The fearful soul that tires and faints 5 
And treads the path of life no more, 
Forgets what joys await thy saints, 
And makes his own destruction sure. 

4 Let not my hopes, like such, be vain ; 
But striving with thy faithful few, 
May I that pledge of glory gain, 
Which false pretenders never knew. 



HYMN 245. L. M. 

The One Thing needful. Luke x. 42. 

1 Why do we waste in trifling cares, 
The lives divine compassion spares, 
While, in the various range of thought. 
The one thing needful is forgot ? 

2 Our Father calls us, from above, 
Our Saviour pleads his dying love, 
Awakened conscience gives us pain ; 
Shall all these pleas unite in vain ? 

3 Not so our dying eyes will view 
The objects which we now pursue ; 



I\art III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 229 

Not so eternity appear, 

When the decisive hour is near. 

4 From vital air, from cheerful light, 
To the cold grave's perpetual night, 
From scenes of duty, means of grace, 
Must we to God's tribunal pass. 

5 Then wake, my soul, thy way prepare, 
And lose in this each meaner care ; 
With steady step that path be trod, 
Which through the grave conducts to God. 

6 Almighty Power ! thine aid impart 
To fix conviction on the heart : 
Thy light can clear the blindest eyes, 
And make the haughtiest scorner wise. 



HYMN 246. L. M. 

The Better Part. Luke x. 43. 

1 Beset with snares on every hand, 
In life's uncertain path we stand : 
Father divine ! diffuse thy light 

To guide our doubtful footsteps right. 

2 Engage our roving, treacherous heart, 
To choose the wise, the better part, 
To scorn the trifles of a day, 

For joys that never fade away. 

3 Then let the fiercest storms arise, 
Let tempests mingle earth and skies ; 

20 



230 DIFFICULTIES OF [Part III. 

No fatal shipwreck shall we fear, 
But all our treasure with us bear. 

4 If thou, our Father ! still be nigh, 
Cheerful we live and joyful die ; 
Secure when mortal comforts flee, 
To find a thousand worlds in thee. 



HYMN 247. C. M. 

Christian Watchfulness. 

1 Awake, my torpid soul ! awake, 

And view the threatening scene :• 
Legions of foes encamp around, 
And treachery lurks within. 

2 ? T is not this mortal life alone 

These enemies assail ; 
How canst thou hope for future bliss, 
If their attempts prevail ? 

3 Not many years their round shall run 

Not many mornings rise, 
Ere all its grandeur stands revealed 
To my admiring eyes. 

4 Then to the work of God awake — 

Behold thy master near — 
The various, arduous task pursue 
With vigour and with fear. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 231 

5 The awful register goes on, 

Th' account will surely come, 
And opening day, or closing night 
May bear me to my doom. 

6 Tremendous thought ! how deep it strikes ! 

Yet like a dream it flies, 
Till God's own voice the slumbers chase 
From these deluded eyes. 



HYMN 248. L. M. 

Christian Fortitude and Decision. 

1 Father of lights ! my footsteps guide 
Along the dangerous path I tread ; 
Ne'er suffer me to turn aside, 

By error or by sin misled. 

2 While the mad world around me spend 
Their days in folly or in crime : 

O that my feet may always tend 
To wise redemption of my time ! 

3 With truth illuminate my mind, 
Inspire with fortitude my heart : 
Ne'er let me wander with the blind, 
Nor waver in the Christian's part. 

4 Fashion and crowds conspire in vain 
To shake the firmness of my soul ; 
All their allurements I disdain ; 
God only shall my choice control. 



232 DIFFICULTIES OF [Part III. 

HYMN 249. C. M. 

Trust in God, under the Trials of Virtue. 

1 When from the verge of youth, my mind 

Life's opening scene surveyed ; 
I viewed its ills of various kind, 
Afflicted and afraid. 

2 But chief my fear the dangers moved, 

That virtue's path inclose ; 
My heart the wise pursuit approved, 
But O ! what toils oppose ! 

3 For see, while yet her unknown ways 

With doubtful step I tread, 

A hostile world its terrors raise, 

Its snares delusive spread. 

4 O ! how shall I, with heart prepared, 

Those terrors learn to meet ? 
How, from the thousand snares to guard. 
My inexperienced feet ? 

5 Let faith suppress each rising fear, 

Each anxious doubt exclude ; 
My Maker's will has placed me here, 
A Maker wise and good. 

6 He to my every trial knows 

Its just restraints to give ; 
Attentive to behold my woes, 
And faithful to relieve. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 235 

7 Though griefs unnumbered throng thee 
round, 
Still in thy God confide, 
Whose finger marks the seas their bound, 
And curbs the rolling tide. 



HYMN 250. L. M. 

The Christian Warfare. 

1 Awake, my soul ! lift up thine eyes ; 
See where thy foes against thee rise, 
In long array, a numerous host ; 
Awake, my soul ! or thou art lost. 

2 Here giant danger threatening stands, 
Mustering his pale, terrific bands ; 
There pleasure's silken banners spread, 
And willing souls are captive led. 

3 See where rebellious passions rage, 
And fierce desires and lusts engage ; 
The meanest foe of all the train 

Has thousands and ten thousands slain. 

4 Thou tread 'st upon enchanted ground ; 
Perils and snares beset thee round ; 
Beware of all ; guard every part ; 
But most, the traitor in thy heart. 

5 Come then, my soul ! now learn to wield 
The weight of thy immortal shield ; 

Put on the armour from above 
Of heavenly truth, and heavenly love. 
20* 



234 DIFFICULTIES OF [Part HI. 

6 The terror and the charm repel, 

And powers of earth, and powers of hell ; 
The man of Calvary triumphed here : 
Why should his faithful followers fear ? 



HYMN 251. C. 31 

The Pilgrimage of Life. 

1 Our country is Immanuel's ground ; 

We seek that promised soil : 
The songs of Zion cheer our hearts. 
While strangers here we toil. 

2 Oft do our eyes with joy o'erflow, 

And oft are bathed in tears ; 
Yet nought but heaven our hopes can raise. 
And nought but sin our fears. 

3 The flowers that spring along the road, 

We scarcely stoop to pluck ; 

We walk o'er beds of shining ore, 

Nor waste one wishful look. 

4 We tread the path our Master trod : 

We bear the cross he bore ; 
And every thorn that wounds our feet, 
His temples pierced before. 

5 Our powers are oft dissolved away 

In ecstacies of love ; 
And while our bodies wander here, 
Our souls are fixed above. 



Part III.] THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. 235 

6 We purge our mortal dross away, 
Refining as we run ; 
But while we die to earth and sense, 
Our heaven is here be^un. 



HYMN 252. C. M. 

The Prayer of Jacob. Gen. xxviii. 20 — 22. 

1 O God of Bethel ! by whose hand 

Thy people still are fed ; 
Who through this weary pilgrimage 
Hast all our fathers led : 

2 Our humble vows we now present 

Before thy throne of grace ; 
God of our fathers ! be the God 
Of their succeeding race. 

3 Through each perplexing path of life 

Be thou our guard and guide ; 
Each day's returning wants supply, 
And raiment fit provide. 

4 O ! spread thy covering shield around, 

Till these our wanderings cease, 
And at our Father's loved abode 
We rest at last in peace : 

5 Now in the humble voice of prayer, 

Thv mercy we implore ; 
Then, with the grateful song of praise, 
That mercy we '11 adore. 



236 DIFFICULTIES OF [Part III. 

HYMN 253. C. M. 

Imploring- the Divine Protection. Prov. iii. 5, 6. 

1 Lord ! through the dubious path of life 

Thy feeble servant guide ! 
Supported by thy powerful aid, 
My footsteps shail not slide. 

2 Let others, swelled with empty pride, 

Of wisdom make their boast ! 
My wisdom and my strength must come 
From thee, the Lord of hosts. 

3 To thee, O my unerring guide ! 

I would myself resign ; 
In all my ways acknowledge thee, 
And form my will to thine. 

4 In safety may thy creature rest 

On thy sustaining arm ; 
Extended still, and strong to save 
In danger and alarm. 

5 O let thy gracious presence chase 

Each anxious fear away ; 
Amid the ruins of the world, 
Our guardian and our stay ! 



HYMN 254. L. M. 

God the Leader of his People. 

1 O God of our forefathers ! hear, 
And make thy faithful mercies known. 



Part III] THE CHRISTIAxN LIFE. 237 

While we with confidence draw near, 
And place our trust on thee alone. 

2 Arise, as in the ancient clays, 

(The ancient annals speak thy fame,) 
Be now omnipotently nigh. 
To endless ages still the same. 

3 From Egypt, when thy chosen race 
Triumphant urged their wondrous way 
Divinely led, behold they pass 

Th' unwatery deep, the emptied sea : 

4 At distance heaped on either hand, 
Yielding a strange unbeaten road, 
In crystal walls the waters stand, 
And own the arm of Israel's God. 

5 That arm which is not shortened now, 
Which wants not now the power to save, 
Shall, present with thy people still, 
Bear them o'er life's tumultuous wave. 

6 By earth and hell pursued in vain, 
To thee thy chosen seed shall come, 
Shouting, their heavenly Canaan gain, 
And pass through death triumphant home. 



HYMN 255. C. M. 

Zeal and Vigour in the Christian Race. Phil. iii. 12 — 14. 

1 Awake, my soul ! stretch every nerve, 
And press with vigour on : 



253 THE CHANGES [Part HI. 

A heavenly race demands thy zeal ? 
And an immortal crown. 

2 A cloud of witnesses around 

Hold thee in full survey : 
Forget the steps already trod, 
And onward urge thy way. 

3 'Tis God's all-animating voice 

That calls thee from on high ; 
'Tis his own hand presents the prize 
To thine aspiring eye : — 

4 That prize with peerless glories bright, 

Which shall new lustre boast, 
When victors' wreaths and inonarchs' gems 
Shall blend in common dust. 

5 My soul, with sacred ardour fired, 

The glorious prize pursue ; 
And cheerful hear the call divine 
To bid this earth adieu. 



HYMN 256. C. M. 

The Vanity of Worldly Desires and Pursuits. 

1 When, in the light of faith divine, 

We look on things below ; 
The good which men most fondly prize, 
How vain and dangerous too ! 

2 Pleasure's delusive form we chase, 

Or dig for shining ore ; 



Part HI.] AND VANITY OF LIFE. 239 

At honour's gaudy shrine we bow, 
Or grasp at boundless power. 

3 The fondness of a creature's love, 

How strong it strikes the sense ! 
Thither the warm affections tend, 
Nor can we call them thence. 

4 Yet what around this spacious earth, 

Can fill the soul's desire ? 
To boundless joy, substantial wealth, 
My nobler thoughts aspire ; 

5 Where pleasure rolls its living stream, 

From sin and dross refined, 
Still springing from the throne of God, 
To cheer th' enraptured mind : 

6 Th' Almighty Ruler of the sphere, 

The glorious and the great, 
Brings his own all-sufficience there, 
To make our bliss complete. 



HYMN 257. 7s. M. 

Complete Happiness not designed for Man on Earth- 

1 Providence, profusely kind, 
Wheresoe'er you turn your eyes, 
Bids you with a grateful mind, 
View a thousand blessings rise. 

2 But perhaps some friendly \oice 
Softly whispers to your mind — 



240 THE CHANGES [Part III. 

Make not these alone your choice, 
Heaven has blessings more refined. 

3 Thankful own what you enjoy ; 
But a changing world like this, 
Where a thousand fears annoy, 
Cannot give you perfect bliss. 

4 Perfect bliss resides above, 
Far above yon azure sky ; 
Bliss that merits all your love, 
Merits every anxious sigh. 

5 What like this has earth to give ? 
O ye righteous ! in your breast 
Let the admonition live, 

Nor on earth desire to rest. 

6 When your bosom breathes a sigh, 
Or your eye emits a tear, 

Let your wishes rise on high, 
Ardent rise to bliss sincere. 



HYMN 258. C. M. 

God the Supreme Good. Ps.iv. 6, 7. 

1 When fancy spreads her boldest wing 

And wanders uncon fined 
Amid th' unbounded scene of things, 
Which entertain the mind : 

2 In vain we trace creation o'er, 

In search of sacred rest ; 



Part HI. J AND VANITY OF LIFE. 241 

The whole creation is too poor, 
Too mean to make us blest. 

3 In vain would this low world employ 

Each flattering, specious wile; 
For what can yield a real joy, 
But our Creators smile. 

4 Let earth and all her charms depart, 

Unworthy of the mind ; 
In God alone this restless heart 
An equal bliss can find. 

5 Great Spring of all felicity, 

To whom our wishes tend ! 
Do not these wishes rise from thee, 
And in thy favour end ? 



HYMN 259. L. M. 

; ' Thou art our dwelling-place in all generations." Ps. xc. 1. 

1 Thou, Lord! through every changing scene, 
Hast to thy saints a refuge been ; 
Through each successive a°;e, O Goo ! 
Their tranquil home, and safe abode. 

2 In thee our fathers sought their rest, 
And were with thy protection blest ; 
Lo, we are risen, a transient race, 
Awhile to fill their vacant place. 

3 While travelling through life's varied road, 
We lean upon our fathers 1 God ; 

21 



242 THE CHANGES [Part HI. 

On thee our steadfast hopes recline, 
Nor own, nor ask, a help but thine. 

4 Through all the thorny paths we trace^ 
In this uncertain wilderness, 

Where friends desert, and foes invade, 
Revive our heart and guard our head. 

5 Thus voices yet unformed shall raise 
A grateful tribute to thy praise ; 
Our children learn their father's song, 
And theirs the cheerful notes prolong. 

6 Thou Parent of the human race, 
Thou Fountain of exhaustless grace ! 
Thy mercy, ages past have known, 
And ages long to come shall own. 



HYMN 260. L. M. 

Mutability of the Creation and Immutability of God. 
Ps. cii. 25—28. 

1 Great Former of this various frame ! 
Our souls adore thine awful name, 

And bow with reverence, while we praise 
The ancient of eternal days. 

2 Beyond an angel's vision bright, 
Thou dwell'st in uncreated light; 
Which shines with undiminished ray, 
While suns and systems pass away. 

3 Our days a transient period run, 
And change with every circling sun ; 



Part III.] AND VANITY OF LIFE. 243 

And in the firmest state we boast, 
A moth can crush us into dust. 

4 But let all nature fall around ; 

Let death consign us to the ground ; 
Let the last general flame arise, 
Consume the earth, dissolve the skies : 

5 Calm as the summer's ocean, we 
Can all the wreck of nature see, 
While grace secures us an abode, 
Unshaken as the throne of God. 



HYMN 261. C. M. 

The Vanity of Human Life. 

1 Frail life of man ! how short its stay, 

And various as the wind ! 
We laugh and sport our hours away, 
Nor heed the woes behind. 

2 See the fair cheek of beauty fade ! 

Frail glory of an hour ; 
And blooming youth, with sickening head, 
Droop like the dying flower. 

8 Wealth, pomp, and honour, we behold 
With an admiring eye, 
Like summer insects, dressed in gold, 
That flutter, shine, and die. 



244 THE CHANGES [Part III. 

4 Then rise, my soul, and soar away 

Above the thoughtless crowd, 

Above the pleasures of the gay, 

And splendours of the proud ; 

5 Where everlasting beauties bloom, 

And pleasures all divine ; 
Where wealth, that never can consume, 
And endless glories shine. 



HYMN 262. C. M. 

The Instability of Worldly Enjoyments. Eccles. i. 2. 

1 The evils that beset our path, 

Who can prevent or cure ? 
We stand upon the brink of death, 
When most we seem secure. 

2 If we to-day sweet peace possess, 

It soon may be withdrawn ; 
Some change m:iy plunge us in distress. 
Before to-morrow's dawn. 

3 Disease and pain invade our health, 

And find an easy prey ; 
And oft, when least expected, wealth 
Takes wings and flies away. 

4 The gourds from which we look for fruit. 

Produce us often pain ; 
A worm unseen attacks the root. 
And all our hopes are vain. 



Part III.] AND VANITY OF LIFE. 245 

5 Since sin has filled the earth with wo, 
And creatures fade and die ; 
Lord, wean our hearts from things below, 
And fix our hopes on high ! 



HYMN 263. 61 L. M. 

" The fashion of the world passeth away." 1 Cor. vii. 29-31. 

1 My soul ! spring up with ardent flight, 
Nor let this earth delude thy sight 

With glittering trifles, gay and vain : 
Wisdom divine directs thy view 
To objects ever grand and new, 

And faith displays the shining train. 

2 Be dead, my hopes, to all below ; 
Nor let unbounded torrents flow, 

When mourning o'er my withered joys : 
So this deceitful world is known ; 
Possessed, 1 call it not my own, 

Nor glory in its painted toys. 

3 The empty pageant rolls along ; 
The giddy, inexperienced throng 

Pursue it with enchanted eyes : 
It passeth in swift march away, 
Still more and more its charms decay, 

Till the last gaudy colour dies. 

4 My God ! to thee my soul shall turn ! 
For thee my noblest passions burn, 

And drink in bliss from thee alone : 
21* 



246 THE CHANGES [Part III. 

I fix on that unchanging home, 
Where never-fading pleasures bloom, 
Fresh-springing round thy radiant throne. 



HYMN 264. L. M. 

Transporting- View of Futurity. 

1 Arise, my soul, on wings sublime 
Beyond the vanities of time ; 
Remove the parting veil, and see 
The glories of eternity. 

2 Born by a new, celestial birth, 
Why should I grovel here on earth ? 
Why grasp at transitory toys, 

So near to heaven's eternal joys ? 

3 Shall aught beguile me on the road, 
While I am walking back to God ? 
For strangers into life we come, 
And death is but returning home. 

4 To dwell with God, to taste his love. 
Is the full heaven enjoyed above, 
And the sweet expectation now, 

Is the young dawn of heaven below. 



HYMN 265. S. M. 

A timely Improvement of Life. Jer. xiii. & James it. 

1 The swift-declining day, 
How fast its moments fly ! 



Part III.] AND VANITY OF LIFE. 247 

While evening's broad and gloomy shade 
Gains on the western sky. 

2 Ye mortals ! mark its j>ace ; 
Improve the hours of light ; 

And know, your Maker can command 
An instantaneous night. 

3 His word blots out the sun 
In its meridian blaze ; 

And cuts from sanguine, vigorous youth 
The remnant of its days. 

4 On the dark mountain's brow 
Your feet shall quickly slide, 

And from its airy summit dash 
Your momentary pride. 

5 What most demands your care, 
O be it still pursued ! 

Lest, slighted once, the season fair 
Should never be renewed. 

6 Then shall new lustre break 
Through horror's darkest gloom, 

And lead you to unchanging light, 
In a celestial home. 



HYMN 266. L. M. 

Comparative Brevity of the longest Life. Gen. v. 27. 

1 Like shadows gliding o'er the plain, 
Or clouds that roll successive on. 



248 THE CHANGES [Part III. 

Man's busy generations pass, 

And while we gaze, their forms are gone. 

2 Vain was the boast of lengthened years, 
The patriarch's full maturity ; 
'Twas but a larger drop to swell 

The ocean of eternity. 

3 " He lived, — he died ;" behold the sum. 
The abstract of th' historian's page ! 
Alike in God's all-seeing eye, 

The infant's day, the patriarch's age. 

4 O Father ! in whose mighty hand 
The boundless years and ages lie ; 
Teach us thy boon of life to prize, 
And use the moments as they fly : 

5 To crowd the narrow span of life 
With wise designs and virtuous deeds ; 

So shall we wake from death's dark night, 
To share the glory that succeeds. 



HYMN 267. L. M. 

The Wisdom of redeeming Time. Eph. v. 15, 16. 

God of eternity ! from thee 
Did infant time his being draw : 
Moments and days, and months and years. 
Revolve by thine unvaried law. 



Part III.] AND VANITY OF LIFE. 249 

2 Silent and swift they glide away : 
Steady and strong the current flows, 
Lost in eternity's wide sea, 

The boundless gulf from which it rose, 

3 With it the thoughtless sons of men 
Before the rapid stream are borne 
On to their everlasting home, 

That country whence there 's no return. 

4 Yet while the shore on either side 
Presents a gaudy, flattering show ; 
We gaze in fond amazement lost, 
Nor think to what a world we go. 

5 Great Source of wisdom ! teach our hearts 
To know the price of every hour, 

That time may bear us on to joys 
Beyond its measure and its power. 



HYMN 268. C. Jtt 

GocTs Compassion to human Frailtj-. Ps. ciii. 14. 

1 Thee we adore, eternal name ! 

And make that name our trust, 
Which raised at first this curious frame 
From mean and lifeless dust. 

2 Awhile these frail machines endure, 

The fabric of a day ; 
Then know their vital powers no more, 
But moulder back to clav. 



250 THE CHANGES Part III. 

3 Yet, Lord ! whate'er is felt or feared, 

This thought is our repose, 
That he by whom our frame was reared, 
Its various frailties knows. 

4 Thou view'st us with a pitying eye, 

While struggling with our load ; 
In pains and dangers thou art nigh, 
Our Father and our God. 

5 Gently supported by thy love, 

We tend to realms of peace ; 
Where every pain shall far remove, 
And every weakness cease. 



HYMN 269, C. M. 

The Vanity of Human Life. Ps. xc. 1 — S. 

1 O God ! our help in ages past, 

Our hope for years to come, 
Our shelter from the stormy blast, 
And our eternal home ! 

2 Before the hills in order stood, 

Or earth received her frame, 
From everlasting thou art God, 
To endless years the same. 

3 Thy word commands our flesh to dust, 

" Return, ye sons of men :" 
And as from earth all rose at first, 
Thither they turn again. 



£art III.] AND VANITY OF LIFE. §51 

4 A thousand ages in thy sight 

Are like an evening song, 
Short as the watch that ends the night, 
Before the rising sun. 

5 But like an ever-flowing stream, 

Time bears its sons away ; 
They fly forgotten, as a dream 
Dies at the opening day. 

6 O God ! our help in ages past, 

Our hope for years to come ; 
Be thou our guard while troubles last, 
And our eternal home. 



HYMN 270. 61. L. M. 

'Solemn Reflections on the Uncertainty of Life 

1 When a few years, or days perhaps, 
Shall glide away in silent lapse, 

Time then to me shall be no more ! 
No more the sun these eyes shall view, 
Earth o'er these limbs her dust shall strew, 

And life's delusive dream be o'er. 

2 My God ! how awful is the scene ! 
A breath, a transient breath between, 

And can I waste life's fleeting day ? 
To earth, alas ! too firmly bound, 
Trees deeply rooted in the ground 

Are shivered when they 're torn away. 



252 THE CHANGES [Part III. 

3 Great Cause of all above, below ! 
Who knows thee, must forever know, 

Thou art immortal and divine : 
Thine image on my soul impressed, 
Of endless being is the test, 

And bids eternity be mine. 



HYMN 271. L. M. 

The Frailty of Life, and the Unchangeableness of Truth. 
Isa. xl. 6, 7, 8. 

1 The morning flowers display their sweets, 
And gay their silken leaves unfold, 

As careless of the noon-day heats, 
And fearless of the evening cold. 

2 Nipt by the wind's unkindly blast, 
Parched by the sun's directer ray, 
The momentary glories waste, 
The short-lived beauties die away. 

3 So blooms the human face divine, 
When youth its pride and beauty shows ; 
Fairer than spring the colours shine, 
And sweeter than the virgin rose. 

4 Or worn by slowly-rolling years, 
Or broke by sickness in a day, 
The fading glory disappears, 

The short-lived beauties die away. 



Part III.] VANITY OF LIFE. 253 

5 But these, new rising from the tomb, 
With lustre, brighter far, shall shine, 
Revive with ever-cluring bloom, 
Safe from diseases and decline. 

6 Let sickness blast and death devour, 
If heaven shall recompense our pains; 
Perish the grass and fade the flower, 
Since firm the word of God remains. 



HYMN 272. L. M. 

Warnings of Mortality. 

1 That awful hour will soon appear, 
Swift on the wings of time it flies, 
When all that pains or pleases here, 
Will vanish from my closing eyes. 

2 Death calls my friends, my neighbours hence, 
And none resist the fatal dart : 
Continual warnings strike my sense ; 

And shall they fail to strike my heart ? 

3 Think, O my soul ! how much depends 
On the short period of to-day : 

Shall time, which Heaven in mercy lends, 
Be negligently thrown away ? 

4 Thy remnant minutes strive to use ; 
Awake ! rouse every active power ! 
And not in dreams and trifles lose 
This little, this important hour ! 

22 



242 THE CHANGES [Part HI. 

On thee our steadfast hopes recline, 
Nor own, nor ask, a help but thine. 

4 Through all the thorny paths we trace^ 
In this uncertain wilderness, 

Where friends desert, and foes invado, 
Revive our heart and guard our head. 

5 Thus voices yet unformed shall raise 
A grateful tribute to thy praise ; 
Our children learn their father's song, 
And theirs the cheerful notes prolong. 

6 Thou Parent of the human race, 
Thou Fountain of exhaustless grace ! 
Thy mercy, ages past have known, 
And ages long to come shall own. 



HYMN 260. Z,. M. 

Mutability of the Creation and Immutability of God. 
Ps. cii. 25—28. 

1 Great Former of this various frame ! 
Our souls adore thine awful name, 

And bow with reverence, while we praise 
The ancient of eternal days. 

2 Beyond an angel's vision bright, 
Thou dwell'st in uncreated light; 
Which shines with undiminished ray, 
While suns and systems pass away. 

3 Our days a transient period run, 
And change with every circling sun ; 



Part III.] AND VANIT5T OF LIFE. 243 

And in the firmest state we boast, 
A moth can crush us into dust. 

4 But let all nature fall around ; 

Let death consign us to the ground ; 
Let the last general flame arise, 
Consume the earth, dissolve the skies : 

5 Calm as the summer's ocean, we 
Can all the wreck of nature see, 
While grace secures us an abode, 
Unshaken as the throne of God. 



HYMN 261. C. M. 

The Vanity of Human Life. 

1 Frail life of man ! how short its stay, 

And various as the wind ! 
We laugh and sport our hours away, 
Nor heed the woes behind. 

2 See the fair cheek of beauty fade ! 

Frail glory of an hour ; 
And blooming youth, with sickening head, 
Droop like the dying flower. 

3 Wealth, pomp, and honour, we behold 

With an admiring eye, 
Like summer insects, dressed in gold, 
That flutter, shine, and die. 



244 THE CHANGES [Part III. 

4 Then rise, my soul, and soar away 

Above the thoughtless crowd, 

Above the pleasures of the gay, 

And splendours of the proud ; 

5 Where everlasting beauties bloom, 

And pleasures all divine ; 
Where wealth, that never can consume, 
And endless glories shine. 



HYMN 262. C. M. 

The Instability of Worldly Enjoyments. Eccles. i. 2. 

1 The evils that beset our path, 

Who can prevent or cure ? 
We stand upon the brink of death, 
When most we seem secure. 

2 If we to-day sweet peace possess, 

It soon may be withdrawn ; 
Some change may plunge us in distress, 
Before to-morrow's dawn, 

3 Disease and pain invade our health, 

And find an easy prey ; 
And oft, when least expected, wealth 
Takes wings and flies away. 

4 The gourds from which we look for fruit, 

Produce us often pain ; 
A worm unseen attacks the root, 
And all our hopes are vain. 



Part III.] AND VANITY OF LIFE. 245 

5 Since sin has filled the earth with wo, 
And creatures fade and die ; 
Lord, wean our hearts from things below, 
And fix our hopes on high ! 



HYMN 263. 61. L. M. 

" The fashion of the world passeth away." 1 Cor. vii. 29-31* 

1 My soul ! spring up with ardent flight, 
Nor let this earth delude thy sight 

With glittering trifles, gay and vain : 
Wisdom divine directs thy view 
To objects ever grand and new, 

And faith displays the shining train. 

2 Be dead, my hopes, to all below ; 
Nor let unbounded torrents flow, 

When mourning o'er my withered joys : 
So this deceitful world is known ; 
Possessed, 1 call it not my own, 

Nor glory in its painted toys. 

3 The empty pageant rolls along ; 
The giddy, inexperienced throng 

Pursue it with enchanted eyes : 
It passeth in swift march away, 
Still more and more its charms decay, 

Till the last gaudy colour dies. 

4 My God ! to thee my soul shall turn ! 
For thee my noblest passions burn, 

And drink in bliss from thee alone : 
21* 



246 THE CHANGES [Part III. 

I fix on that unchanging home, 
Where never-fading pleasures bloom, 
Fresh-springing round thy radiant throne. 



HYMN 264. L. M. 

Transporting- View of Futurity. 

1 Arise, my soul, on wings sublime 
Beyond the vanities of time ; 
Remove the parting veil, and see 
The glories of eternity. 

2 Born by a new, celestial birth, 
Why should I grovel here on earth ? 
Why grasp at transitory toys, 

So near to heaven's eternal joys ? 

3 Shall aught beguile me on the road, 
While I am walking back to God ? 
For strangers into life we come, 
And death is but returning home. 

4 To dwell with God, to taste his love. 
Is the full heaven enjoyed above, 
And the sweet expectation now, 

Is the young dawn of heaven below. 



HYMN 265. S. M. 

A timely Improvement of Life. Jer. xiii. & James it, 

1 The swift-declining day, 
How fast its moments fly ! 



Part III.] AND VANITY OF LIFE. 247 

While evening's broad and gloomy shade 
Gains on the western sky. 

2 Ye mortals ! mark its jpace ; 

Improve the hours of light ; 
And know, your Maker can command 

An instantaneous night. 

5 His word blots out the sun 

In its meridian blaze ; 
And cuts from sanguine, vigorous youth 

The remnant of its days. 

4 On the dark mountain's brow 
Your feet shall quickly slide, 

And from its airy summit dash 
Your momentary pride. 

5 What most demands your care, 
O be it still pursued ! 

Lest, slighted once, the season fair 
Should never be renewed. 

6 Then shall new lustre break 
Through horror's darkest gloom, 

And lead you to unchanging light, 
In a celestial home. 



HYMN 266. L. M. 

Comparative Brevity of the longest Life. Gen. v. 27. 

1 Like shadows gliding o'er the plain, 
Or clouds that roll successive on, 



248 THE CHANGES [Part III. 

Man's busy generations pass, 

And while we gaze, their forms are gone. 

2 Vain was the boast of lengthened years, 
The patriarch's full maturity ; 

'Twas but a larger drop to swell 
The ocean of eternity. 

3 " He lived, — he died ;" behold the sum. 
The abstract of th' historian's page ! 
Alike in God's all-seeing eye, 

The infant's day, the patriarch's age. 

4 O Father ! in whose mighty hand 
The boundless years and ages lie ; 
Teach us thy boon of life to prize, 
And use the moments as they fly : 

5 To crowd the narrow span of life 
With wise designs and virtuous deeds ; 

So shall we wake from death's dark night, 
To share the glory that succeeds. 



HYMN 267. L. M. 

The Wisdom of redeeming Time. Eph. v. 15, 16. 

1 God of eternity ! from thee 
Did infant time his being draw : 
Moments and days, and months and years. 
Revolve by thine unvaried law. 



Part III.] AND VANITY OF LIFE. 249 

2 Silent and swift they glide away : 
Steady and strong the current flows, 
Lost in eternity's wide sea, 

The boundless gulf from which it rose, 

3 With it the thoughtless sons of men 
Before the rapid stream are borne 
On to their everlasting home, 

That country whence there 's no return. 

4 Yet while the shore on either side 
Presents a gaudy, flattering show ; 
We gaze in fond amazement lost, 
Nor think to what a world we go. 

5 Great Source of wisdom ! teach our hearts 
To know the price of every hour, 

That time may bear us on to joys 
Beyond its measure and its power. 



HYMN 263. C. M. 

God's Compassion to human Frailty. Ps. ciii. 14. 

1 Thee we adore, eternal name ! 

And make that name our trust, 
W x fiich raised at first this curious frame 
From mean and lifeless dust. 

2 Awhile these frail machines endure, 

The fabric of a day ; 
Then know their vital powers no more, 
But moulder back to clav. 



250 THE CHANGES Part III. 

3 Yet, Lord ! whate'er is felt or feared, 

This thought is our repose, 
That he by whom our frame was reared, 
Its various frailties knows. 

4 Thou view'st us with a pitying eye, 

While struggling with our load ; 
In pains and dangers thou art nigh, 
Our Father and our God. 

5 Gently supported by thy love, 

We tend to realms of peace ; 
Where every pain shall far remove, 
And every weakness cease. 



HYMN 269, C. M. 

The Vanity of Human Life. Ps. xc. 1 — B. 

1 O God ! our help in ages past, 

Our hope for years to come, 
Our shelter from the stormy blast, 
And our eternal home ! 

2 Before the hills in order stood, 

Or earth received her frame, 
From everlasting thou art God, 
To endless years the same. 

3 Thy word commands our flesh to dust, 

" Return, ye sons of men :" 
And as from earth all rose at first. 
Thither they turn again. 



Part III.] AND VANITY OF LIFE. §51 

4 A thousand ages in thy sight 

Are like an evening song, 
Short as the watch that ends the night, 
Before the rising sun. 

5 But like an ever-flowing stream, 

Time bears its sons away ; 
They fly forgotten, as a dream 
Dies at the opening day. 

6 O God ! our help in ages past, 

Our hope for years to come ; 
Be thou our guard while troubles last, 
And our eternal home. 



HYMN 270. 61 L. M. 

■Solemn Reflections on the Uncertainty of Life 

1 When a few years, or days perhaps, 
Shall glide away in silent lapse, 

Time then to me shall be no more ! 
No more the sun these eyes shall view, 
Earth o'er these limbs her dust shall strew 

And life's delusive dream be o'er. 

2 My God ! how awful is the scene ! 
A breath, a transient breath between, 

And can I waste life's fleeting day ? 
To earth, alas ! too firmly bound, 
Trees deeply rooted in the ground 

Are shivered when they 're torn away. 



252 THE CHANGES [Part III. 

3 Great Cause of all above, below ! 
Who knows thee, must forever know, 

Thou art immortal and divine : 
Thine image on my soul impressed, 
Of endless being is the test, 

And bids eternity be mine. 



HYMN 271. L. M. 

The Frailty of Life, and the Unchangeableness of Truth. 
Isa. xl. 6, 7, 8. 

1 The morning flowers display their sweets, 
And gay their silken leaves unfold, 

As careless of the noon-day heats, 
And fearless of the evening cold. 

2 Nipt by the wind's unkindly blast, 
Parched by the sun's director ray, 
The momentary glories waste, 
The short-lived beauties die away. 

3 So blooms the human face divine, 
When youth its pride and beauty shows ; 
Fairer than spring the colours shine, 
And sweeter than the virgin rose. 

4 Or worn by slowly -rolling years, 
Or broke by sickness in a day, 
The fading glory disappears, 

The short-lived beauties die away. 



Part III.] VANITY OF LIFE. 253 

5 But these, new rising from the tomb, 
With lustre, brighter far, shall shine, 
Revive with ever-cluring bloom, 
Safe from diseases and decline. 

6 Let sickness blast and death devour, 
If heaven shall recompense our pains; 
Perish the grass and fade the flower, 
Since firm the word of God remains. 



HYMN 272. L. M. 

Warning's of Mortality. 

1 That awful hour will soon appear, 
Swift on the wings of time it flies, 
When all that pains or pleases here, 
Will vanish from my closing eyes. 

2 Death calls my friends, my neighbours hence, 
And none resist the fatal dart : 
Continual warnings strike my sense ; 

And shall they fail to strike my heart ? 

3 Think, O my soul ! how much depends 
On the short period of to-day : 

Shall time, which Heaven in mercy lends, 
Be negligently thrown away ? 

4 Thy remnant minutes strive to use ; 
Awake ! rouse every active power ! 
And not in dreams and trifles lose 
This little, this important hour ! 

22 



254 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part III. 

5 Lord of my life ! inspire my heart 
With heavenly ardour, grace divine ; 
Nor let thy presence e'er depart, 

For strength, and life, and death are thine. 

6 O teach me the celestial skill, 
Each awful warning to improve ! 

And while my days are shortening still, 
Prepare me for the joys above ! 

HYMN 273. L. M. 

Prospects of the real Christian. Ps. xvii. 

1 Lord, I am thine ; but thou wilt prove 
My faith, my patience, and my love ; 
Whate'er the trial, I '11 complain 

Of nought thy wisdom shall ordain. 

2 What sinners value, I resign : 

Lord, ? t is enough that thou art mine : 
I shall behold thy blissful face, 
And stand complete in righteousness. 

3 This life 's a dream, an empty show ; 
But the bright world to which I go 
Hath joys substantial and sincere ; 
When shall I w T ake and find me there ! 

4 O glorious hour ! O blest abode ! 
I shall be near and like my God ; 
And flesh and sin no more control 
The sacred pleasures of the soul. 



Part III.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 255 

5 The change will come ; this active mind, 
To earth's dark scenes no more confined, 
Shall burst the chains with glad surprise, 
And in my Saviour's image rise. 



HYMN 274. C. M. 

Encouragement to the Suffering- Christian* 

1 O there 's a better world on high ; 

Hope on, thou pious breast ; 
Faint not, thou traveller ! on the skj 
Thy weary feet shall rest. 

2 Anguish may rend each vital part ; 

Poor man, thy strength how frail ! 
Yet heaven's own strength shall shield thy 
When flesh and heart shall fail, [heart, 

3 Through death's dark vale of deepest shade, 

Thy feet must surely go ; 
Yet there, e'en there, walk undismayed ; 
'T is thy last scene of wo. 

4 Thy God, and with the tenderest hand, 

Shall guard the traveller through ; 
Hail ! shalt thou cry ; hail, promised land ! 
And wilderness, adieu ! 

5 O Father ! make our souls thy care, 

And bring us safe to thee ; 
Where'er thou art, we ask not where, — 
But there 't is heaven to be. 



50 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part IIL 

HYMN 275. 61 C. M. 

The Christian's Cross and Crown. 

Courage ! ye partners in distress, 
Who travelling through the wilderness. 

Its eares and sorrows feel ; 
Awhile forget your griefs and fears, 
And look beyond this vale of tears, 

To yon celestial hill. 

See, Jesus there in triumph stands, 
Head of the church's sacred bands, 

Joined with the angelic powers ; 
Lo ! all that height of glorious bliss 
Our everlasting portion is, 

And all that heaven is ours. 

> Though suffering with our Master here, 
We shall before his throne appear, 

And by his side sit down ; 
To patient faith the prize is sure, 
And they that to the end endure 

The cross, shall wear the crown. 

L Thrice-blessed, soul-inspiring hope ! 
It lifts the fainting courage up, 

It brings to life the dead ; 
Our conflicts here shall soon be past, 
And all his people rise at last 

With their triumphant Head. 



Part III.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 257 

HYMN 276. L. M. 

The Prospect of Sickness and Death. 

1 When all the powers of nature fail ; 
When sickness shall our hearts assail, 
And every nobler part pervade ; 
When every earthly wish shall fade : 

2 When pain, of every nerve possest, 
Shall vibrate in the throbbing breast ; 
And languor o'er our senses steal, 
And medicine lose its power to heal : 

3 When our dim eyes are sunk in death, 
And God, who gave, shall take our breath, 
Do thou sustain the fainting heart, 

And comfort to the soul impart. 

4 May thy bright presence bring relief 
From fear, despondency, and grief : 
Directing, while it cheers, our way 
To realms of perfect, endless day. 



HYMN 277. C. M. 

Comfort in Sickness and Death. 

1 When sickness shakes the languid frame, 

Each dazzling pleasure flies ; 
Phantoms of bliss no more obscure 
Our long deluded eyes. 

2 Then the tremendous arm of death 

Its hated sceptre shows; 

22* 



258 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part 111. 

And nature faints beneath the weight 
Of complicated woes. 

3 The tottering frame of mortal life 

Shall crumble into dust ; 
Nature shall faint — but learn, my soul, 
On nature's God to trust. 

4 The man whose pious heart is fixed 

On his all-gracious God, 
In every frown may comfort find, 
And kiss the chastening rod. 

5 Nor hini shall death itself alarm ; 

On heaven his soul relies ; 
With joy he views his Maker's love, 
And with composure dies. 



HYMN 278. C. M. 

The Christian's Triumph over Death. 1 Cor. xv. 55, 

1 O for an overcoming faith, 

To cheer my dying hour, 
To triumph o'er the monster, death, 
And all his frightful power. 

2 Joyful with all the strength I have, 

My quivering lips would sing, 
Where is thy boasted victory, grave ! 
O death ! where is thy sting ? 

3 Pardon and life, — how dear each word I 

God life and pardon sends, 



Part III.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 259 

And by our dying, rising Lord, 
Ensures to all his friends. 

4 All glory be to God on high, 
And endless thanks be paid, 
Who makes us conquerors though we die, 
Through Christ, our living Head. 



HYMN 279. C. M. 

God, our Support in the Hour of Death. Ps. xxxviii. 9,10. 

1 My soul ! the awful hour will come, 

Apace it hastens on, 
To bear this body to the tomb, 
And thee to scenes unknown. 

2 My heart long labouring with its cares, 

Shall pant and sink away ; 
And you, mine eye-lids, soon shall close 
On the last glimmering ray. 

3 Whence in that hour shall I derive 

A cordial for my pain, 
When if earth's princes were my friends, 
These friends would weep in vain ? 

4 Great King of nature and of grace ! 

To thee my spirit flies, 
And opens all its deep distress 
Before thy pitying eyes. 

5 All its desires to thee are known, 

And every secret fear ; 



260 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part III. 

The meaning of each broken groan 
Is noticed by thine ear. 

6 O fix me, by that mighty power 
Which to such love belongs, 
Where darkness veils the eyes no more. 
And sighs are changed to songs. 



HYMN 230. S. M. 

Triumph over Death, in Hope of the Resurrection. 

1 And must this body die ? 
This curious frame decay ? 

And must these active limbs of mine 
Lie mouldering in the clay ? 

2 Corruption, earth, and worms, 
Shall but refine this flesh, 

Till my triumphant spirit comes, 
To put it on afresh. 

3 God, my Redeemer, lives, 
And ever from the skies, 

Looks down and watches all my dust, 
Till he shall bid it rise. 

4 Arrayed in glorious grace, 
Shall these vile bodies shine, 

And everv form and every face, 
Look heavenly and divine. 

5 These lively hopes we owe 
To Jesus' dying love ; 



Part III.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 2G1 

We would adore his grace below, 
And sing his power above. 

6 O Lord, accept the praise 
Of these our humble songs, 

Till we a nobler strain shall raise 
From our immortal tongues. 



HYMN 281. C. M. 

God, the everlasting Light of good Men. Isa. lx. 20. 

1 Ye golden lamps of heaven ! farewell, 

With all your feeble light: 
Farewell, thou ever-changing moon, 
Pale empress of the night ! 

2 And thou, refulgent orb of day ! 

In brighter flames arrayed, 
My soul, which springs beyond the spherej 
No more demands thine aid. 

3 Ye stars are but the shining dust 

Of my divine abode, 
The pavement of those heavenly courts, 
Where I shall reign with God. 

4 The Father of eternal light 

Shall there his beams display ; 
Nor shall one moment's darkness mix 
With that unvaried day. 

5 No more the drops of piercing grief 

Shall swell into mine eyes ; 



262 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part IIH 

Nor the meridian sun decline, 
Amid those brighter skies. 

6 There all the millions of his saints 
Shall in one song unite ; 
And each the bliss of all shall share 
With infinite delight. 



HYMN 282. C. 31 

The Earthly and Heavenly Tabernacle. 2 Cor. v. 1 — 8,. 

1 There is a house not made with hands, 

Eternal and on high ; 
And here my spirit trembling waits, 
Till God shall bid it fly. 

2 Shortly this prison of my clay 

Must be dissolved and fall ; 
Then, O my soul ! with joy embrace 
Th' Almighty Father's call. 

3 The glorious gospel of his grace 

Reveals this heaven to come ; 
While beams of glory in his word 
Allure and guide us home. 

4 Pure are the joys reserved above, 

And all the region peace ; 
No wanton lip or envious eye 
Can see or taste that bliss. 

5 Such are the hopes that cheer the just : 

These hopes their God hath given ; 



Part III.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 263 

His spirit is the earnest now, 
And seals their souls for heaven. 

6 What faith rejoices to believe, 
Be ours the bliss to see ; 
We would be absent from the flesh, 
And present, Lord, with thee. 



HYMN 283. C. M. 

Prospect of Heaven. 

1 Those happy realms of joy and peace, 

Fain would my heart explore, 
Where grief and pain forever cease, 
And I shall sin no more. 

2 No darkness there shall cloud the skies, 

No langour seize the frame ; 
But ever-active vigour rise 
To feed the vital flame. 

3 But ah ! a dreary vale between 

Extends its awful gloom ; 
Fear spreads, to hide the distant scene, 
The horrors of the tomb. 

4 O for the eye of faith divine 

To pierce beyond the grave ! 
To see that friend, and call him mine, 
Whose arm is strong to save ! 

5 Here fix, my soul ! for life is here ; 

Light breaks amid the gloom ; 



264 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part HI, 

Trust in thy Father's love, nor fear 
The horrors of the tomb. 



HYMN 284. 61 C. M. 

The Dying Saint. 

1 When life's tempestuous storms are o'er, 
How calm he meets the friendly shore, 

Who lived averse from sin ! 
Such peace on virtue's paths attends, 
That, where the sinner's pleasure ends, 

The christian's joys begin. 

2 See smiling patience smooth his brow ; 
See bending nngels downward bow 

To cheer his way on high ! 
While eager for the blest abode, 
He joins with them to praise the God, 

Who taught him how to die. 

3 No sorrow drowns his lifted eyes, 
No horror wrests the struggling sighs, 

As from the sinner's breast ; 
His God, the God of peace and love, 
Pours kindly solace from above, 

And sooths his soul to rest. 

4 O grant, my Father and my Friend, 
Such joys may gild my peaceful end, 

So calm my evening close ; 
While loosed from every earthly tie, 
With steady confidence I fly 

To thee from whom I rose. 



Part III.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 265 

HYMN 285. C. M. 

The Peace of the Grave. Job iii. 17 — 20. 

1 How still and peaceful is the grave ! 

Where, life's vain tumults past, 
Th' appointed house, by heaven's decree, 
Receives us all at last. 

2 The wicked there from troubling cease ; 

Their passions rage no more ; 
And there the weary pilgrim rests 
From all the toils he bore. 

3 There rest the prisoners, now released 

From slavery's sad abode : 
No more they hear th' oppressor's voice, 
Nor dread the tyrant's rod. 

4 There servants, masters, small and great, 

Partake the same repose ; 
And there in peace, the ashes mix 
Of those w r ho once were foes. 

5 All, levelled by the hand of death, 

Lie sleeping in the tomb ; 
Till God in judgment call them forth 
To meet their final doom. 



HYMN 286. C. M. 

<c Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." Rev. xiv. 13. 

1 Hear what the voice from heaven proclaims 
For all the pious dead ; 
23 



266 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part III. 

Sweet is the savour of their names, 
And soft their dying bed. 

2 They sleep in Jesus and are blest ; 

How calm their slumbers are ! 
From sufferings and from sins released. 
And freed from every snare. 

3 Shall we then tremble to convey 

Their bodies to the tomb ? 
There the rich dust of Jesus lay, 
And left a long perfume. 

4 The graves of all his saints he blest, 

And softened every bed ; 
Where should the dying members rest, 
But with the dying head ? 

5 Like him they wake to life anew ; 

And justified by grace, 
Shall stand complete in glory too 
Before their Father's face. 



HYMN 287. C. M. 

The Creation, an Emblem of the Resurrection. 

1 All nature dies, and lives again : 

The flowers that paint the field, 
The trees that crown the mountain's brow 
And boughs and blossoms yield, 

2 Resign the honours of their form 

At winter's stormy blast ; 



P^rt III.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 267 

And leave the naked, leafless plain, 
A desolated waste. 

3 Yet soon reviving plants and flowers 

Anew shall deck the plain ; 
The woods shall hear the voice of spring. 
And flourish green again. 

4 So to the dreary grave consigned, 

Man sleeps in death's dark gloom. 
Until th' eternal morning wake 
The slumbers of the tomb. 

5 O may the grave become to us 

The bed of peaceful rest ; 
Whence we shall gladly rise at length, 
And mingle with the blest. 

6 Cheered by this hope, with patient mind 

We '11 wait heaven's high decree ; 
Till the appointed period come 
When death shall set us free. 



HYMN 288. C. M. 

*' This mortal shall put on immortality." 1 Cor. xv. 52 — 58. 

1 When the last trumpet's awful voice 
This rending earth shall shake, 
The opening graves shall yield their charge, 
And dust to life awake : 



268 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part III. 

2 Those bodies that corrupted fell, 

Shall incorrupted rise ; 
And mortal forms shall spring to life 
Immortal in the skies. 

3 Behold ! what heavenly prophets sung, 

Is seen fulfilled at last ; 
Death his unbroken sway resigns, 
Which held the ages past. 

4 Let faith exalt her joyful voice, 

Let hope exulting sing : 
O grave ! where is thy triumph now ? 
O death ! where is thy sting ? 

5 Our God, whose name be ever blest ! 

Disarms that foe we dread ; 
And makes us conquerors when we die, 
Through Christ, our living head. 

6 Then steadfast let us still remain, 

Though dangers press around ; 
And in the w 7 ork prescribed by God, 
Yet more and more abound. 



HYMN 289. C. ilf. 

The Resurrection of Jesus, the Pledge of ours. 1 Peter 
i. 3—5. 

1 Blest be the everlasting God, 
The Father of our Lord ; 
Be his abounding mercy praised, 
His majesty adored. 



*art m.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 269 

2 When Jesus from the tomb arose, 

Ascending to the skies, 
The liveliest hope with us he left, 
That we should also rise. 

3 What though the feeble frame of man 

Returns to native dust ; 
Since Christ, our pledge and pattern rose, 
So all his followers must. 

4 There 's an inheritance divine, 

Reserved against that day : 
'T is uncorrupted, undefiled, 
And cannot fade away. 

5 Thy servants by thy power are kept, 

Till this deliverance come ; 
And walk by faith, as strangers here, 
Till thou shalt call them home. 



HYMN 290. C. M. 

The Great Consummation. 

" Bright orb of heaven, thy circuit stay !" 

The Jewish victor cries : 
So shall at last an angel say, 

And rend it from the skies ! 

A flame intenser than the sun 

Shall melt his golden urn ; 
Time's empty glass no more shall run, 

Nor human years return. 

23* 



270 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part III. 

3 Then, with immortal splendour bright, 

That glorious orb shall rise, 
Which through eternity shall light 
The new-created skies. 

4 On the bright ranks of happy souls 

Those blissful beams shall shine ; 
While the loud song of triumph rolls 
In harmony divine. 

5 O let not sordid, base desire, 

The soul's dark, rayless night, 
Unfit us for that sacred choir, 
Or God's unchanging light ! 



HYMN 291. L. M. 

The Final Retribution. Dan. xii. 1, 2. 

1 The heart dejected, sighs to know, 
W T hy vice triumphant reigns below ; 
Why saints have fallen in every age, 
The victims of tyrannic rage. 

2 Fast roll successive years away ; 
Fast hastens the important day, 

When to th' astonished world's surprise, 
God's hi^h tribunal shall arise. 

3 Hark ! 't is the trumpet's piercing sound. 
The rising dead assemble round ; 

In long procession see they come, 
Each to receive his final doom. 



Part III.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 271 

4 Lo ! there a vile, degenerate race ; 
Pale terror sits on every face : 
Here on the right, a joyful band, 
The sons of suffering virtue stand. 

5 The sentence passed, lo ! these arise 
To bliss and glory in the skies : 

While those who once stood high in fame, 
Sink to contempt and endless shame. 

6 Thus shall God's providence appear 
Without a shade, divinely fair ; 
And blushing doubt with joy confess 
The Lord's a God of righteousness. 



HYMN 292. L. M. 

The Dissolution of the Present State. 2 Pet. iii. 11, 12. 

1 Arise, my soul ! extend thy wings 
Beyond the verge of mortal things ; 
And meditate the awful day, 

When this vain world must pass away. 

2 Behold the fiery deluge roll 

Through heaven's wide arch from pole to 

pole ! 
Pale sun, no more "thy lustre boast! 
Tremble and fall, ye starry host ! 

3 The wreck of nature all around, 

The angel's shout, the trumpet's sound. 
Loud the descending Judge proclaim, 
And echo his tremendous name. 



272 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part III, 

4 Children of Adam, all appear ; 
The last decisive sentence hear ; 
For as his lips pronounce, je go 
To endless bliss or unknown wo. 

5 Lord ! to my eyes this scene display, 
Frequent through each returning day ; 
And let thy grace my soul prepare 
To find its full redemption there. 



HYMN 293. L. M. 

The general Assembly of the Blessed. 

1 From north and south, from east and west, 
Advance the myriads of the blest : 

From every clime of earth they come, 
And find in heaven a common home. 

2 Howe'er divided here below, 

One bliss, one spirit now they know ; 
And, all their doubts and darkness o'er, 
One only Parent now adore. 

3 On earth, according to their light, 
They aimed to practise what was right ; 
Hence all their errors are forgiven, 
And Jesus welcomes them to heaven. 

4 See, how along the heavenly meads, 
His glorious host the Saviour leads, 
And brings the myriads none can count. 
To seats of joy on Zion's mount ! 



Part in.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 273 

HYMN 294. C. M. 

A Prospect of Heaven. 

1 There is a land of pure delight, 

Where saints immortal reign ; 
Infinite day excludes the night, 
And pleasures banish pain. 

2 There everlasting spring abides, 

And never-withering flowers ; 
Death, like a narrow sea, divides 
This heavenly land from ours. 

3 Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood 

Stand dressed in living green ; 
So to the Jews old Canaan stood, 
And Jordan rolled between. 

4 But timorous mortals start and shrink, 

To cross this narrow sea ; 
And linger shivering on the brink, 
And fear to launch away. 

5 Oh ! could we make our doubts remove, 

Those gloomy doubts that rise, 
And see the Canaan that we love, 
With unbeclouded eyes ! 

6 Could we but climb where Moses stood, 

And view the landscape o'er, 
Not Jordan's streams, nor death's cold flood, 
Should fright us from the shore. 



274 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [F.ART III. 

HYMN 295. S. M. 

Heaven. Rev. vii. 15 — 17. 

1 Far from these scenes of night 
Unbounded glories rise, 

And realms of infinite delight, 
. Unknown to mortal eyes. 

2 Fair land ! could mortal eyes 
But half its charms explore, 

How would our spirits long to rise, 
And dwell on earth no more. 

3 There sickness never comes ; 
There grief no more complains ; 

Health triumphs in immortal bloom, 
And purest pleasure reigns. 

4 No strife nor envy there 
The sons of peace molest ; 

But harmony and love sincere, 
Fill every happy breast. 

5 No cloud those regions know, 
Forever bright and fair : 

For sin, the source of mortal wo, 
Can never enter there. 

6 There 's no alternate night, 
Nor sun's faint, sickly ray ! 

But glory from th ? eternal throne 
Spreads everlasting day. 






Part III.] AND A FUTURE STATE. 275 

7 O ! may this prospect fire 
Our hearts with ardent love ; 

And lively faith and strong desire 
Bear every thought above. 



HYMN 296. L. M. 

Heaven, the Reward of Virtuous Exertions. Dan. xii. 3< 

1 There is a glorious world en high, 
Resplendent with eternal day ; 

Faith views the blissful project nigh, 
While God's own word reveals the w 7 ay. 

2 There shall the servants of the Lord 
With never-fading lustre shine ; 
Surprising honour ! vast reward ! 
Conferred on man by love divine. 

3 Rescued from that destructive way 
Where erring folly thoughtless roves, 
The heavenly virtue they display, 
Which Jesus taught, and God approves. 

4 The shining firmament shall fade, 
And sparkling stars resign their light ; 
But these shall know nor change nor shade, 
For ever fair, for ever bright. 

5 On wings of faith and strong desire, 
O may our spirits daily rise ; 

And reach at last the shining choir, 
In the bright mansions of the skies, 



276 DEATH, JUDGMENT, [Part III. 

HYMN 297. L. M. 

Aspirations after Heaven. 

1 From this world's joys and senseless mirth, 
O come, my soul, in haste retire ; 
Assume the grandeur of thy birth, 

And to thy destined heaven aspire. 

2 Here 's nought below deserves delay ; 
Nought that can bribe thy swift remove ; 
No stable ground thy hopes to stay, 
Nor worthy object of thy love. 

3 O then forbear on transient things 
Thy hopes and fond desires to place ; 
Their gain no joy or comfort brings, 
And weary is the doubtful chase. 

4 'T is heaven alone can make thee blest, 
And every wish and want supply ; 
Thy crown of joy, thy endless rest, 
Are all above the lofty sky. 

5 There shall mortality no more 
Its wide-extended empire boast ; 
Forgotten all its dreadful power, 
In life's unbounded ocean lost. 



PART IV. 

FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 

HYMN 298. L. M. 

For the Lord's Supper. 

1 This feast was Jesus' high behest, 
This cup of thanks his last request : 
Ye who can feel his worth, attend, 
Eat, drink, in memory of your friend. 

2 Around the patriot's bust ye throng, 
Him ye exalt in swelling song : 
For him the wreath of glory bind, 
Who freed from vassalage his kind : 

3 And shall not he your praises reap, 
Who rescues from the iron sleep ? 
The great deliverer, whose breath 
Unbinds the captives e'en of death ? 

4 Shall he, who, fellow-men to save, 
Became a tenant of the grave, 
Unthanked, uncelebrated rise, 
Pass unremembered to the skies ? 

5 Christians ! unite with loud acclaim 
To hymn the Saviour's welcome name 
On earth extol his wondrous love ; 
Repeat his praise in worlds above. 



278 CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. [Part IV. 

HYMN 299. L. M. 

Fidelity to our Saviour. 

1 Canst thou, my soul ! forget that friend, 
On whom thy highest hopes depend ? 

Or shun the beams of heavenly day, 
To follow nature's feeble ray ? 

2 His words sustain the soul opprest, 
And sooth to peace the guilty breast ; 
To brighter prospects point the way, 
And turn the gloom of night to day. 

3 O think what power and love divine 
United in thy Saviour shine ; 

In him, whose name alone is given, 
To guide thee to the bliss of heaven. 

4 Forbid it, from my thoughtless heart 
His cherished image e'er should part ! 
Or earth again that heart insnare, 
With him divided sway to share ! 

5 Forbid it, Author of my frame, 

O Thou, from whom my spirit came ! 
Thy son can endless life bestow ; 
And where beside then should 1 go? 



HYMN 300. C. M. 

Brotherly Kindness from the Precept and Example of 
Christ. 

1 Ye followers of the Prince of peace, 
Who round his table draw ! 



Part IV.] CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 279 

Remember what his spirit was, 
What his peculiar law. 

2 The love, which all his bosom filled, 

Did all his actions guide ; 
Inspired by love, he lived and taught ; 
Inspired by love, he died. 

3 Let each the sacred law fulfil ; 

Like his be every mind : 
Be every temper formed by love, 
And every action kind. 

4 Let none who call themselves his friends, 

Disgrace the honoured name ; 
But by a near resemblance prove 
The title which they claim. 



HYMN 301. L. M. 

Invitation to the Lord's Supper. 

1 Father ! and is thy table spread ? 
And does thy cup with love overflow ? 
Thither be these thy children led, 
And let them all its sweetness know. 

2 O let thy table honoured be, 

And furnished well with joyful guests; 
And may each soul salvation see, 
That here its sacred pledges tastes. 

3 Let crowds approach, with hearts prepared 
With warm desire let all attend ; 



230 CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. [Part IV 

Nor when we leave our Father's board, 
The pleasure or the profit end. 

4 Revive thy dying churches, Lord ! 
And bid our drooping graces live ; 
And more that energy afford, 

A Saviour's death alone can give. 

5 Nor let thy spreading gospel rest, 

Till through the world thy truth has run, 
Till with this bread all men be blest, 
Who feel the influence of the sun ! 



HYMN 302. L. M. 

The Memorial of our absent Lord. 

1 Jesus is gone above the sky, 

Where our weak senses reach him not ; 

And earthly objects court our eye, 

To thrust the Saviour from our thought. 

2 He knows what treacherous hearts we have. 
Prone to forget his wondrous grace ; 

And kindly this memorial gave, 
Till we ascend to see his face. 

3 The Lord of life this table spread 
With tokens of his dying love ; 
And we who on its richness feed, 
A foretaste gain of joys above. 

4 Be sinful pleasures all forgot, 

And earth grow less in our esteem ; 



Part IV.] CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 281 

Christ and his love fill every thought, 
And faith and hope be fixed on him ! 



HYMN 303. C. M. 

Dispositions proper for the Communion. 

1 O here, if ever, God of love ! 

Let strife and tumult cease ; 
And every thought harmonious move, 
And every heart be peace. 

2 Not here, where met to think on him, 

Whose latest thoughts were ours, 
Shall mortal passions come to dim 
The prayer devotion pours. 

3 No, gracious Master, not in vain 

Thy life of love hath been ; 
The peace thou gav'st, may yet remain, 
Though thou no more art seen. 

4 "Thy kingdom come;" we watch, we wait 

To hear thy cheering call ; 
When heaven shall ope its glorious gate, 
And God be all in all. 



HYMN 304. S. M. 

The Communion of Christians. 1 Cor. x. 16, 17. 

1 Jesus, the friend of man, 

Invites around his board 
24* 



282 CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. [Part IV. 

Those who his spirit share, to hold 
Communion with their Lord. 

2 Here we show forth that love, 
Which spake in every breath, 

Prompted each action of his life, 
And triumphed in his death. 

3 Our heavenly Father calls 
Christ and his members one ; 

Alike the children of his love, 
And he the first-born son. 

4 One faith, one hope, one Lord, 
One God alone we know ; 

Brethren we are ; let every heart 
With kind affections glow. 

5 Let all our powers unite 
His honoured name to raise ; 

Let grateful joy fill every mind, 
And every voice be praise. 

6 Warmed with our Master's love, 
And God's unmeasured grace, 

O let our thankful hearts expand, 
And all mankind embrace. 



HYMN 305. 8&7s. M. 

Practical Influence of the Lord's Suppei 

1 Bless the God of our salvation; 
Triumph in redeeming love : 



Part IV.] CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 283 

Let us with glad exultation 
Imitate the blest above. 

2 From the table now retiring, 
Which for us his love hath spread 
May our souls refreshment finding, 
Grow in all things like our head. 

3 His example by beholding, 
May our lives his image bear ; 
Him our Lord and Master calling, 
His commands may we revere. 

4 Love to God and man displaying, 
Walking steadfast in his way, — 
Peace attend us in believing ! 

Peace from God through endless day ! 



HYMN 306. L. M. 

" This do in remembrance of me." 1 Cor. xi. 24. 

1 " Eat, drink, in memory of your friend ! v 
Such was our Master's last request ; 
Who all the pangs of death endured, 
That we might live forever blest. 

2 Yes, we '11 record the matchless love 
Of this, the kindest, first of friends ! 
Whose dying love the noblest praise 
That we can offer him, transcends. 

3 Now at his table we are pa0< 
His parting precept to fulfil : 



284 CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. [Part IV. 

Let not our hearts that love forget, 
Which warms his faithful bosom still. 

4 And thou, his Father and our own, 
Accept the humble songs we raise ; 
Still to our thankful spirits, known 
The object of our highest praise. 

5 Teach us in all he did, to see 
Inscribed the glories of thy name ; 
And let devotedness to thee, 

Our gratitude to him proclaim. 



HYMN 307. S. 31. 

Children offered to God. Mark x. 14. 

1 Lo ! Israel's Shepherd stands, 
With all-engaging charms ; 

See, how he takes the tender lambs 
And folds them in his arms ! 

2 " Permit them to approach, 
Forbid them not," he cried ; 

" Of such my Father's kingdom is, 
And such with him abide." 

3 We bring them, gracious Lord ! 
And yield them up to thee ; 

Rejoiced that we ourselves are thine. 
Thine let our offspring be. 

4 Hear him, ye little flock ! 
Ye children, seek his face, 



Part IV.] CHRISTIAN ORDINANCES. 285 

And fly with transport to receive 
The blessings of his grace. 

5 If orphans they are left, 
Thy guardian love we trust ; 

That love can heal our bleeding hearts. 
When weeping o'er their dust. 



HYMN 308. S. M. 

" Tke promise is to you and your children." Acta ii. 39, 

1 Lord ! what our ears have heard, 
Our eyes delighted trace ; 

Thy love in long succession shown 
To every rising race. 

2 The promise how divine 
To Abram and his seed : 

11 I /ll be a God to thee and thine, 
Supplying all their need." 

3 This wide-extensive love 
Shall to all time endure ; 

As ages past have ever found 
The promised blessing sure. 

4 Thee shall the fathers own, 
And thee the sons adore ; 

Allied to God in solemn vows, 
To be forgot no more ; 

5 Thy covenant may they keep, 
And bless the happy bands, 



286 CHRISTMAS [Part IV. 

Which closer still engage their hearts 
To honour thy commands. 

6 To parents and their seed 

Let thy salvation come ; 
And numerous households meet at last 

In one eternal home. 



HYMN 309. H. M. 

Nativity of Christ. 

Hark ! what celestial sounds, 
What music fills the air ! 
Soft warbling to the morn, 
It strikes the ravished ear: 

Now all is still, 

Now wild it floats, 

In tuneful notes, 

Loud, sweet, and shrill. 

Th 5 angelic hosts descend, 
With harmony divine : 
See how from heaven they bend, 
And in full chorus join. 

" Fear not," say they, 

" Great joy we bring : 

Jesus, your king, 

Is born to day. 

He comes your souls to save 
From death's eternal gloom ; 
To realms of bliss and light 
He lifts you from the tomb. 



Part VI.] AND CHARITY OCCASIONS. 237 

Your voices raise, 
With sons of light 
Your songs unite 
Of endless praise. 

4 Glory to God on high ! 

Ye mortals, spread the sound, 
And let your raptures fly 
To earth's remotest bound. 

For peace on earth, 

From God in heaven 

To man is given, 

At Jesus' birth." 



HYMN 310. & M. 

The Birth of Christ. 

1 Behold ! the grace appears, 
The blessing promised long ; 

Angels announce the Saviour near 
In this triumphant song : 



2 " Glory to God on high ; 

And heavenly peace on earth : 
Good-will to men, to angels joy, 
At the Redeemer's birth ! " 

3 In worship so divine 

Let saints employ their tongues 
With the celestial hosts we join, 
And loud repeat their songs : 



288 CHRISTMAS [Part IV. 

4 Glory to God on high ! 

And heavenly peace on earth ; 
Good- will to men, to angels joy, 

At our Redeemer's birth ! 



HYMN 311. P. M. 

For a Christian Festival. 

O thou ! from whom all blessings flow ; 
Whose goodness crowns the varied year, 
While nature's works thy bounty show, 
Let gratitude salute thee here ; 

Swell, gently swell the solemn song, 
Now pour the bounding notes along, 
Teach choirs below to choirs above 
To echo back the common lay, 
And, as they praise unbounded love, 
To join in bounty's holiday. 
To God, the universal King, 
Be sacred every grateful choir ! 
In ceaseless hymns, all praises sing, 
That endless bounty can inspire ! 

All lost, beneath stern winter's reign, 
Creation's genial powers appeared, 
Spring called them into life again, 
See, budding verdure shows they heard ; 
Bless, bless, O man ! the kind design, 
Whose nobler counterpart is thine ! 



I 



Part III.] AND CHARITY OCCASIONS. 289 

Thy powers a gloomier winter froze, 
Till thy Messiah's cheering ray, 
Prolific of fair truth arose, 
And shed the blaze of mental day. 
To God the universal King, &c. 

3 All spotless, as the truth he brought, 
Free, as the mercy he displayed, 
His life all human duty taught, 
In each divinest grace arrayed ; 

Each precept thus enforced, he gave 
His precious life the world to save. 
O thou, whose heavenly mercy sent 
Thy Son to bless a sinful race ; 
Let every heart with one consent 
Adore thy free, thy wondrous grace. 
To God, the universal King, 
Be sacred every grateful choir ! 
In ceaseless hymns all praises sing, 
That endless mercy can inspire. 



HYMN 312. C. M. 

For a Charitable Occasion. 

1 What shall we render, God of love ! 

For all the grace we see ? 
The best requital man would give, 
Can never reach to thee. 

2 Our offering is a willing mind 

To comfort the distrest ; 

25 



290 CHRISTMAS [Part IV. 

In others' griefs, our own to find, 
In others' blessings, blest. 

3 To tents of wo, to beds of pain, 

Our cheerful feet repair ; 
And, with the gifts thy hand bestows, 
Relieve the mourners there. 

4 The widow's heart shall sing for joy ; 

The orphan shall be glad ; 
And hungering souls we '11 gladly point 
To Christ, the living bread. 

5 Thus what our heavenly Father gave. 

Shall we as freely give ; 
Thus copy him who lived to save, 
And died that we might live. 

6 While passing through this vale of tears, 

Our useful light shall shine ; 
And others learn to glorify 
Our Father's name divine. 



HYMN' 313. s&rs. M. 

For an Orphan and Widow Institution. 

Lord of life, all praise excelling, 
Thou, in glory unconfmed, 

Deign'st to make thy humble dwelling 
With the poor of humble mind. 






Part IV.] AND CHARITY OCCASIONS. 291 

As thy love through all creation, 
Beams like thy diffusive light ; 

So the scorned and humble station 
Rises ia thine equal sight. 

2 Thus thy care for all providing, 

Warmed thy faithful prophet's tongue : 
Who the lot of all deciding, 

To thy chosen Israel sung : 
When thine harvest yields thee pleasure, 

Thou the golden sheaf shalt bind ; 
To the poor belongs the treasure 

Of the scattered ears behind. 

3 When thy olive plants increasing, 

Pour their plenty o'er thy plain, 
Grateful thou shalt take the blessing, 

But not search the bough again. 
When thy favoured vintage flowing, 

Gladdens thy autumnal scene, 
Own the bounteous hand bestowing, 

But thy vines the poor shall glean. 

4 Stiil we read thy words declaring 

Mercy, Lord, thine own decree ; 
Mercy every sorrow sharing, 

Warms the heart resembling thee. 
Still the orphan and the stranger, 

Still the widow owns thy care, 
Screened by thee in every danger, 

Heard by thee in every prayer. 



292 CHRISTMAS [Part IV- 

HYMN 314. L. M. 

The Rewards of Beneficence. Ps. xli. 

1 Blest is the man whose heart is kind, 
And melts in pity to the poor ; 
Who, with a sympathizing mind 
Feels what his fellowmen endure. 

2 His heart contrives for their relief 
More good than his own hands can do ; 
He in the time of general grief 

Shall find the Lord hath pity too. 

3 This man shall live secure on earth, 
With secret blessings on his head, 
While sword or pestilence or dearth 
Around him multiply their dead. 

4 Or if with mortal sufferings tried, 
Sufferings shall all his soul refine ; 
Sweet hope his refuge shall provide, 
And minister a bliss divine. 



HYMN 315. 61 L. M. 

Charity. Matt. xxv. 34. 

O ye, who seek Jehovah's face, 
Bow at his throne, and feel his grace, 
Who ask in prayer, and own in praise, 
That bounteous love which gilds your days. 
Catch from above the hallowed flame, 
And dignify the christian name. 



Part IV.] FUNERAL OCCASIONS. 297 

5 O may our feet pursue the way 

Our pious fathers led ; 
While love and holy zeal obey 
The counsels of the dead. 

6 Let us be weaned from all below ; 

Let hope our grief dispel ; 
And death but find us trained to go 
Where our best kindred dwell. 



HYMN 320. C. M. 

The Reunion of virtuous Friends after Death. 

1 Blest hour, when virtuous friends shall 

Shall meet to part no more, [meet. 
And with celestial welcome, greet 
On an immortal shore. 

2 The parent finds his long-lost child ; 

Brothers on brothers gaze ; 
The tear of resignation mild 
Is changed to joy and praise. 

3 Each tender tie dissolved with pain, 

With endless bliss is crowned ; 
All that was dead revives again, 
All that was lost, is found. 

4 And while remembrance, lingering still, 

Draws joy from sorrowing hours, 
New prospects rise, new pleasures fill 
The soul's expanded powers. 



293 



FUNERAL OCCASIONS. 



[Part IV. 



Congenial minds arrayed in light, 
High thoughts shall interchange ; 

Nor cease with ever-new delight, 
On wings of love to range. 

Their father marks their generous flame, 
And looks complacent down ; 

The smile that owns their filial claim, 
Is their immortal crown. 



HYMN 321. L. M. 

A Funeral Hymn. 

1 Thou, God of mercy ! wilt indulge 
The flowing tear, the heaving sigh, 
When righteous persons fall around, 
When tender friends and kindred die. 

2 Yet not one anxious, murmuring thought 
Should with our mourning passions blend ; 
Nor should our bleeding hearts forget 
Th' almighty, ever-living Friend. 

3 Beneath a numerous train of ills, 
Our feeble flesh and heart may fail ; 
Yet shall our hope in thee, our God, 
O'er every gloomy fear prevail. 

4 Parent, Protector, Guardian, Guide ! 
Thou art each tender name in one ; 
On thee we cast our every care, 
And comfort seek from thee alone. 



Part IV.] FUNERAL OCCASIONS. 299 

5 Our Father, God ! to thee we look, 
Our Rock, our Portion, and our Friend ! 
And on thy gracious love and truth 
Our sinking souls shall still depend. 



HYMN 322. C. M. 

On the Death of a Child. 

1 Life is a span, a fleeting hour ; — 

How soon the vapour flies ! 
Man is a tender, transient flower, 
That e'en in blooming dies. 

2 The once-loved form now cold and dead, 

Each mournful thought employs ; 
And nature weeps, her comforts fled, 
And withered all her joys. 

3 But wait the interposing gloom, 

And lo ! stern winter flies ; 
And dressed in beauty's fairest bloom, 
The flowery tribes arise. 

4 Hope looks beyond the bounds of time, 

When what we now deplore, 

Shall rise in full immortal prime, 

And bloom to fade no more. 

5 Then cease, fond nature ! cease thy tears 

Religion points on high, 
There everlasting spring appears, 
And joys that cannot die. 



300 FUNERAL OCCASIONS. [Part IV. 

HYMN 323. L. M. 

A Funeral Hymn. 

1 Unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb ! 
Take this new treasure to thy trust ; 
And give these sacred relics room 
To slumber in thy silent dust. 

2 No pain, no grief, no anxious fear, 
Invade thy bounds ; no mortal woes 
Can reach the peaceful sleeper here, 
While angels watch its soft repose. 

3 So Jesus slept ; God's dying Son 
Passed through the grave, and blessed the 

bed ; 
Then rest, dear saint, till from his throne, 
The morning break, and pierce the shade. 

4 Break, sacred morning, from the skies ! 
Then, clothed anew in bright array, 
Immortal form ! to life arise, 

And swell the song of endless day. 

HYMN 324. C. M. 

Spring-. 

1 While beauty clothes the fertile vale, 
And blossoms on the spray, 
And fragrance breathes in every gale, 
How sweet the vernal day ! 



Part IV.] CHANGES OF THE YEAR. 3( 

2 How kind the influence of the skies ! 

Soft showers, with blessings fraught, 
Bid verdure, beauty, fragrance rise, 
And fix the roving thought. 

3 O let my wondering heart confess, 

With gratitude and love, 
The bounteous hand that deigns to bless 
The garden, field, and grove. 

4 That bounteous hand my thoughts adore, 

Beyond expression kind, 
Hath sweeter, nobler gifts in store, 
To bless the craving mind. 

5 Inspired to praise, I then shall join 

Glad nature's cheerful song ; 
And love and gratitude divine 
Attune my joyful tongue. 

HYMN 325. C. M. 

Seed-time and Harvest. Ps. lxv. 

1 The rising morn, the closing day, 
Repeat thy praise with grateful voice ; 
Both in their turns thy power display, 
And laden with thy gifts rejoice. 

2 Earth's wide-extended, varying scenes, 
All smiling round, thy bounty show ; 
From seas or clouds, full magazines, 
Thy rich diffusive blessings flow. 

26 



302 CHANGES OF THE YEAR. [Part IV. 

3 Now earth receives the precious seed, 
Which thy indulgent hand prepares ; 
And nourishes the future bread, 

And answers all the sower's cares. 

4 Thy sweet, refreshing showers attend, 
And through the ridges gently flow, 
Soft on the springing corn descend ; 
And thy kind blessing makes it grow. 

5 Thy goodness crowns the circling year, 
Thy paths drop fatness all around ; 
E'en barren wilds thy praise declare, 
And echoing hills return the sound. 

6 Here spreading flocks adorn the plain ; 
There, plenty every charm displays ; 
Thy bounty clothes each lovely scene, 
And joyful nature shouts thy praise. 



HYMN 326. C. M. 

The Providence of God in the Seasons. 

1 The rolling year, Almighty Lord ! 

Obeys thy powerful nod ; 
Each season, as it silent moves, 
Declares the present God. 

2 Waked by thy voice, blooms forth the 

spring, 
In living verdure drest ; 
On hills, in vales, through fields and groves. 
Thy beauties stand confest. 



Part IV.] CHANGES OF THE YEAR. 303 

3 The sun calls forth the summer months. 

Nor do the hours delay ; 
The fruits with varied colours glow 
Beneath his ripening ray. 

4 Thy bounty, Lord ! in autumn shines, 

And spreads a general feast ; 
In which thy creatures all partake, 
The greatest and the least. 

5 When winter rears her hoary head, 

And shows her furrowed brow, 
In storms and tempests, frosts and snows, 
How awful, Lord, art thou ! 

6 The rolling year, Almighty Lord ! 

Obeys thy powerful nod ; 

Each season, as it silent moves, 

Declares the present God. 



HYMN 327. L. M. 

The Goodness of God in the Seasons. 

Great God ! at whose all-powerful call, 
At first arose this beauteous frame, 
By thee the seasons change, and all 
The changing seasons speak thy name. 

Thy bounty bids the infant year, 
From winter storms recovered, rise ; 
When thousand grateful scenes appear, 
Fresh opening to our wondering eyes. 



304 CHANGES OF THE YEAR. [Part IV 



o 



O how delightful 't is to see 
The earth in vernal beauty drest ! 
While in each herb, and flower, and tree, 
Thy bright perfections shine confest ! 

4 Aloft, full beaming reigns the sun, 
And light and genial heat conveys ; 
And, while he leads the seasons on, 
From thee derives his quickening rays. 

5 Around us, in the teeming field, 
Stands the rich grain, or purpled vine ; 
At thy command they rise to yield 

The strengthening bread, or cheering wine. 

6 Indulgent God ! from every part, 
Thy plenteous blessings largely flow ; 
We see — we taste — let every heart 
With grateful love and duty glow. 



HYMN 328. io&iis. M. 

For new Year's Day. Ps. cxxxvi. 

1 House of our God, with cheerful anthems 
ring, 
While all our lips and hearts his graces sing ; 
The opening year his bounties shall proclaim, 
And all its days be vocal with his name. 
The Lord is good, his mercy never-ending, 
His blessings in perpetual showers descending. 



Part IV.] CHANGES OF THE YEAR. 505 

2 Thou, earth, enlightened by his rays divine, 
Pregnant with grass and corn and oil and 

wine ; 
Crowned with his goodness, let the nations 

meet, 
And lay their crowns at his paternal feet ; 
With grateful love that liberal hand confessing, 
Which through each heart dirTuseth every bless- 
ing. 

3 His mercy never ends ; the dawn, the shade, 
Still see new beauties through new scenes 

displayed ; 
Succeeding ages bless this sure abode, 
And children lean upon their fathers' God. 
The soul of man, through its immense duration, 
Drinks from this source, immortal consolation. 

4 Burst into praise, my soul ! all nature join ; 
Angels and men, in harmony combine ; 
While human years are measured by the sun, 
And while eternity its course shall run, 

His goodness in perpetual showers descending, 
Exalt in songs and raptures never-ending. 



HYMN 329. L. M. 

Life precarious. Jer. xxviii. 1G. 

God of our lives ! thy constant care 
With blessings crowns each opening year ; 
These lives so frail, thy love prolongs, 
And wakes anew our annual songs. 
26* 



508 CHANGES OF THE YEAR. [Part IV. 

2 What numbers in the little space, 
Have vacant left on earth their place, 
Since, from this day, the changing sun 
Through his last yearly course has run. 

3 Wp- yet survive ; but who can say, 

Or through the year, or month, or day, 
Secure from the attack of death, 
I will retain this vital breath ? 

4 That breath is always in thy hand, 
And stays or goes at thy command ; 
We hold our lives from thee alone, 
Their limits all to us unknown. 

5 To thy disposal we resign ; 

Let life while it but lasts be thine ; 
Then shall we smile, secure from fear, 
Though death should blast the opening year. 



HYMN 330. C. M. 

Reflections on the Waste of Years. Ps. xc. 9. 

Remark, my soul, the narrow bounds 

Of the revolving year ; 
How swift the weeks pursue their rounds ! 

How short the months appear ! 

So fast eternity comes on, 

And that important day, 
When ail that mortal life has done, 

God's judgment shall survey. 



Part IV] CHANGES OF THE YEAR. 307 

3 These eyes so long in darkness veiled, 

Must wake his lace to see ; 
And every word and every thought 
Must pass his scrutiny. 

4 Yet like an idle tale we pass 

The swift advancing year ; 
And study artful ways t 5 increase 
The speed of its career. 

5 Waken, O God, this trifling heart, 

Its great concern to see ; 
That I may act the christian part, 
And give the year to thee. 

6 Thus shall their course more grateful roll, 

If future years arise ; 
Or this shall bear my willing soul 
To joy that never dies. 



HYMN 331. C. M. 

Serious Reflections on our Mortal Condition. 

And now, my soul, another year 

Of my short life is past ; 
I cannot here continue long, 

And this may be my last. 

Part of my doubtful life is gone, 

Nor will return again : 
And swift my fleeting moments ruii — 

The few which yet remain ! 



308 CHANGES OF THE YEAR. [Part IV, 

3 Awake, my soul ! with all thy care 

Thy true condition learn ; 
What are thy hopes, how fair, how sure, 
And what thy great concern ? 

4 Awake to serious, anxious thought : 

The months gone by review : 
What good, what evil hast thou done, 
What work remains to do ? 

5 How is thy debt of love increased 

To that sustaining power, 
Which hath upheld thy feeble steps 
And brought thee to this hour ! 

6 To him then give thy remnant life, 

And on his grace depend : 
He '11 guide thee on the heavenly road 
To its triumphant end. 



HYMN 332. L. M. 

The Vanity and Frailty of human Life. Ps. xxxix. 

Our life advancing to its close, 
While scarce its earliest dawn it knows, 
Swift through an empty shade we run, 
And vanity and man are one. 

How many e'en in youth's gay flower. 
Brief pageants of the noontide hour, 
Have faded in their brightest bloom, 
The early tenants of the tomb ! 



Part IV.] CHANGES OF THE YEAR. 509 

8 O how thy chastisements impair 
The human form, however fair ! 
How frail the strongest frame we see, 
When thou dost man to death decree ! 

4 As when the fretting moths consume 
The curious labour of the loom, 
The texture fails, the dyes decay, 
And all its lustre fades away. 

5 God of my fathers ! here, as they, 
I walk the pilgrim of a day, 

A transient guest, — thy works admire, 
And instant to my home retire. 

6 O Lord of life and seasons ! we 
Our sole reliance place on thee : 
In thee we trust with holy fear, 

And bless thee for the new-born year ! 



HYMN 333. 7s. M. 

Reflections on the closing" Year. 

1 Lo ! another year is gone ! 

Quickly have the seasons passed; 
That we enter soon upon, 
Will to many prove their last : 
Hopes and joys of this year o'er, 
If it brought or promised good, 
It is now our own no more 
Than the years beyond the flood. 



310 CHANGES OF THE YEAR. [Part IV- 

2 Some, — we now no longer see, 
Who their mortal course have run, 
Seemed as fair for life as we, 
When the passing year begun : 
Some, — but who God only knows, 
That are here assembled now, 
Ere the opening year shall close, 
To the common doom must bow. 

3 If from guilt and sin set free, 
By the knowledge of thy grace, 
Welcome then the call will be 
To depart and see thy face : 
To thy saints while here below, 
With new years new mercies come, 
But the happiest year they know, 
Is their last that leads them home. 



HYMN 334. 7s. M. 

Close of the Year. 

While with ceaseless course the sun 
Hasted through the closing year, 
Many souls their race have run, 
Never more to meet us here ! 
Finished here probation's day, 
They have done with all below ; 
We a little longer stay ; 
But how little, none can know. 



Part IV.] PUBLIC OCCASIONS. 311 

2 As the winged arrow flies 
Quick the destined mark to find ; 
As the lightning from the skies 
Darts, and leaves no trace behind : 
So our brief and transient days 
Bear us down life's rapid stream ; 
Upward, Lord, our spirits raise ; 
All below is but a dream. 

3 Thanks for mercies past receive, 
Pardon of our sins renew ; 
Teach us by thy grace to live 
With eternity in view. 

Bless thy word to young and old ; 
Grant us, Lord, thy peace and love ; 
And, when life's short tale is told, 
Take us to thy bliss above. 



HYMN 335. L. M. 

Public Humiliation. 

1 Great Framer of unnumbered worlds, 
And whom unnumbered worlds adore ! 
Whose goodness all thy creatures share, 
While nature trembles at thy power : 

2 Thine is the hand that moves the spheres, 
That lifts the sea, and wakes the wind, 
And man, who moves the lord of earth, 
Acts but the part thy will assigned. 

3 Lord, while thy judgments shake the land, 
Thy people's eyes are fixed on thee, 



312 PUBLIC FAST [Part IV 

Thy just, uplifted arm we own, 
Which thousands cannot, will not see. 

4 And though injustice grind the poor, 
Or avarice stain the sordid hand ; 
Though stern ambition thirst for blood, 
Or rude oppression waste the land ; 

5 Yet hear th' assemblies of thy saints, 
Who meet to mourn, confess, and pray; 
The country and the churches spare, 
Nor let thy face be turned away. 

6 O may our land in this her hour, 
Submissive own thy chastening rod ; 
Then shall thy banner o'er her seen, 
Proclaim again her guardian God. 



HYMN 336. C. M. 

Penitent Humiliation. 

O God of grace ! how oft have we 
Been, like a burning brand, 



Snatched from the fierce surrounding flame 
By thy indulgent hand. 

2 But have we learned thy name to fear, 

Thy mercy to improve ? 
Have we been drawn to keep thy laws, 
By all these cords of love ? 

3 Or when on days like these we 've mourned 

Our sins, and pardon prayed, 



Part IV.] AND THANKSGIVING. 31 3 

Have we not. soon forgot our vows, 
And far as ever strayed ? 

4 Too deeply conscious, though again 
Our suppliant eyes we raise, 

Shouldst thou refuse the help we ask, 
We justify thy ways. 

5 But, O thou God of perfect grace ! 
Here all our comfort lies, — 

The truly broken, contrite heart. 
Thou never wilt despise. 

6 But while in this eternal truth 
Refuge alone we find, 

Let the blest hope we wish to form, 
To faithful duty bind. 



HYMN 337. L. M. 

Fast-day in time of War. 

1 While sounds of war are heard around, 
And death and ruin strew the ground : 
To thee we look, on thee we call, 

The Parent and the Lord of all ! 

2 Thou, who hast stamped on human kind 
The image of a heaven-born mind, 

And in a father's fond embrace 
Hast cherished all the kindred race ; 

3 O see, with what insatiate rage, 
Thy sons their impious battles wage, 

27 



314 PUBLIC FAST [Part IV. 

How spreads destruction like a flood, 
And brothers shed their brothers' blood ! 

4 See guilty passions spring to birth, 
And deeds of hell deform the earth ; 
While righteousness and justice mourn, 
And love and pity droop forlorn. 

5 Great God ! whose powerful hand can bind 
The raging waves, the furious wind, 

O bid the human tempest cease, 

And hush the maddening world to peace. 

6 With reverence may each hostile land 
Hear and obey that high command, 
Thy Son's blest errand from above, 

" My creatures, live in mutual love." 



HYMN 338. S. M. 

The Designs of Providence in the Revolutions of the World. 

1 God, to correct the world, 
In wrath is slow to rise : 

But comes at length in thunder clothed, 
And darkness veils the skies. 

2 His banners, lifted high, 
The nations' God declare; 

And stained with blood, with terrors marked, 
Spread wonder and despair. 



3 All earthly pomp and pride 
Are in his presence lost : 



Part IV.] AND THANKSGIVL\G. 315 

Empires o'erturned, thrones, sceptres, 
In wild confusion tost. [crowns, 

4 While war and wo prevail, 
And desolation wide ; 

In God, the sovereign Lord of all, 
The righteous still confide. 

5 Mysterious is the course 
Of his tremendous way : 

His path is in the trackless winds, 
And in the foaming sea. 

6 Yet, though now wrapt in clouds, 
And from our view concealed ; 

The righteous Judge will soon appear, 
In majesty revealed ! 

7 He'll curb the lawless power, 
The deadly wrath of man : 

And all the windings will unfold 
Of his own gracious plan. 

HYMN 339. L. M. 

Praise for the Return of Peace. Ps. xlvi. 

1 Great Ruler of the earth and skies! 
A word of thine almighty breath 
Can sink the world or bid it rise ; 
Thy smile is life, thy frown is death. 

2 When angry nations rush to arms, 
And rage, and noise, and tumult reign, 



316 PUBLIC FAST [Part IV, 

And war resounds its dire alarms 
And slaughter dyes the hostile plain ; 

3 Thy sovereign eye looks calmly down, 
And marks their course and bounds their 

power ; 
Thy law the angry nations own, 
And noise and war are heard no more. 

4 Then peace returns with balmy wing ; 
Reviving commerce spreads her sails ; 
The fields are green, and plenty sings 
Responsive o'er the hills and vales. 

5 Thou kind, and wise, and righteous Lord, 
All move subservient to thy will ; 

Both peace and war await thy word. 
And thy sublime decrees fulfil. 

6 To thee we pay our grateful songs, 
Thy kind protection still implore : 

O may our hearts, and lives, and tongues. 
Confess thy goodness, and adore ! 



HYMN 340, C. M. 

The original Settlement of New England. 

1 Father supreme of heaven and earth ! 
Creative source of all ! 
Whence infant nations spring to birth. 
And empires rise and fall ; 



Part IV.] AND THANKSGIVING. 317 

2 Thy throne above the circling spheres, 

Shall stand, though centuries roll ; 
Nor boundless space nor endless years 
Can limit thy control ! 

3 To him from whom our blessings flow, 

Who all our want supplies, 
This day the choral song and vow 
From grateful hearts shall rise ! 

4 'T was he who led the pilgrim band 

Across the stormy sea ; 
'T was he who stayed the tyrant's hand, 
And set an empire free ! 

5 When shivering on a strand unknown, 

In sickness and distress, 
Our fathers looked to God alone, 
To save, protect, and bless ! 

6 Be thou our nation's strength and shield. 

In manhood, as in youth; 
Thine arm for our protection wield, 
And guide us by thy truth ! 



HYMN 341. 61 L. M. 

Thanksgiving for National Prosperity. 

1 How rich thy gifts, almighty King ! 
From thee our public blessings spring : 
Tli' extended trade, the fruitful skies, 

27* 



318 PUBLIC FAST [Part IV. 

The treasures liberty bestows, 
Th' eternal joys the gospel shows, 
All from thy boundless goodness rise. 

2 Here commerce spreads the wealthy store, 
Which pours from every foreign shore ; 

Science and art their charms display ; 
Religion teaches us to raise 
Our voices to our Maker's praise, 

As truth and conscience point the way. 

3 With grateful hearts, with joyful tongues, 
To God we raise united songs ; 

His power and mercy we proclaim ; 
This land through every age shall own, 
Jehovah here has fixed his throne, 

And triumph in his mighty name. 

4 Long as the moon her course shall run, 
Or man behold the circling sun, 

O still may God amidst us reign; 
Crown our just counsels with success, 
With peace and joy our borders bless, 

And all our sacred rights maintain. 



HYMN 342. L. M. 

The Year crowned with Goodness. Ps. lxv. 11. 
For a New Year, or annual Thank giving. 

Eternal Source of every joy ! 

Well may thy praise our lips employ ; 

While in thy temple we appear, 

Thy goodness crowns the circling year 



Part IV.] AND THANKSGIVING. 319 

2 Wide as the wheels of nature roll, 
Thy hand supports the steady pole : 
By thee the sun is taught to rise, 
And darkness when to veil the skies. 

3 The flowery spring, at thy command, 
Embalms the air, and paints the land; 
The summer suns with vigour shine, 
To raise the corn and cheer the vine. 

4 Thy hand in autumn richly pours 
Thro' all our coasts redundant stores ; 
And winters, softened by thy care, 
No more a face of horror wear. 

5 Seasons, and months, and weeks, and days-, 
Demand successive songs of praise ; 

Still be the cheerful homage paid, 
With morning light and evening shade ! 

6 O may our more harmonious tongues 
Hereafter join in nobler songs ; 

And in those brighter courts adore, 
Where days and years revolve no more ! 



HYMN 343. L. M. 

Consecration of a Church; 

And wilt thou, great and glorious God ! 
Regard us from thy radiant throne ; 
On earth establish thine abode, 
And choose this temple as thine own ? 



320 FOR A CHRISTIAN SOCIETY. [Part IV. 

2 While to thy name these courts we rear, 
Long may they echo with thy praise ; 
And thou, descending, grant us here 

To see thy reconciled face. 

3 While life eternal all pursue, 

Here may th' unerring way be shown, 
To know thyself, the only true, 
And Jesus Christ, thy chosen Son. 

4 May truth with sweet resistless force 
Hither constrain her guests to come ; 
Arrest the sinner's downward course, 
And bring thy children to their home. 

5 Long may thy light and truth remain 
To bless this place when we are gone, 
And myriads here be born again, 
The heirs of glory round thy throne. 



HYMN 344. C. M. 

Dedication or Ordination Hymn. 

1 Artse, O God of grace ! arise, 

And enter to thy rest ; 
Lo ! thy church waits with longing eyes 
Thus to be owned and blest. 

2 Enter with all thy glorious train, 

Thy spirit and thy word ; 
All that the ark did once contain, 
Could no such grace afford. 



Part IV.] FOR A CHRISTIAN SOCIETY. 321 

3 Here, mighty God ! accept our vows ; 

Here let thy praise be spread ; 
Bless the provision of thine hoiue, 
And rill thy poor with bread. 

4 Here let the son of David reign, 

Let God's anointed shine ; 
Justice and truth his court maintain, 
With love and power divine. 

5 Here let him hold a lasting throne ; 

And as his kingdom grows, 
Fresh honours shall adorn his crown^ 
And shame confound his foes. 



HYMN 345. L. M. 

At the Settlement of a Minister. 

1 Great Lord of angels ! we adore 

The grace that builds thy courts below ; 
And 'midst ten thousand sons of light, 
Stoops to regard what mortals do. 

2 Amidst the wastes of time and death, 
Successive pastors thou dost raise, 
Thy kingdom and thy truth to spread, 
And form a people for thy praise. 

3 At length, dismissed from feeble clay, 
Thy servants join th' angelic band ; 
With them through distant worlds they fly, 
With them before thy presence stand. 



322 FOR A CHRISTIAN SOCIETY. [Part IV. 

4 O blest employment ! glorious hope ! 
Sweet lenitive of grief and care ! 

When shall we reach those radiant courts, 
And all their joys and honours share ? 

5 Yet while these labours we pursue, 
Though distant from thy heavenly throne, 
Give us a zeal and love like theirs, 

And half their heaven shall here be known. 



HYMN 346. L. M. 

On the dangerous Sickness of a Minister. 

1 O thou, before whose gracious throne 
We bow our suppliant spirits down, 
Thou know'st the anxious cares we feel, 
And all our trembling lips would tell. 

2 Thou only canst assuage our grief, 
And give our sorrowing hearts relief: 
In mercy then thy servant spare, 
Nor turn aside thy people's prayer. 

3 Avert thy desolating stroke,. 

Nor smite the shepherd of the flock ; 
Restore him, sinking to the grave, 
Stretch out thine arm, make haste to save. 

4 Bound to each soul by tender ties, 
In every heart his image lies ; 
Thy pitying aid, O God, impart, 

Nor rend him from each bleeding heart. 



Part IV.] FOR A CHRISTIAN SOCIETY. 323 

5 But if our supplications fail, 

And prayers and tears cannot prevail, 
Be thou his strength and thou his stay, 
Through death's dark vale to endless day. 



HYMN 347. C. M. 

For a vacant Congregation on the Death of its Minister. 

1 Though earthly shepherds dwell in dust, 

The aged and the young ; 
The watchful eye in darkness closed, 
And mute th' instructive tongue ; 

2 Th' immortal Shepherd still survives, 

New comfort to impart ; 
His eye still guides us, and his voice 
Still animates our heart. 

3 To him, when mortal comforts fail, 

His suppliant people fly ; 
And on his ever-watchful care, 
With cheerful hope rely. 

4 The powers of nature, Lord, are thine ; 

And thine the aids of grace : 
Thine arm has borne thy churches up, 
Through every rising race. 

5 Exert thy sacred influence here, 

Thy mourning servants bless, 
O change to strains of cheerful praise 
Their accents of distress. 



324 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

HYMN 348. L. M. 

Family Duties and Blessings. Gen. xviii. 19. 

1 Father of men ! thy care we bless, 
Which crowns our families with peace ; 
From thee they sprung, and by thy hand 
Their root and branches are sustained. 

2 To God most worthy to be praised, 
Be our domestic altars raised ; 

Though Lord of heaven, he deigns to dw 7 ell 
With saints in their obscurest cell. 

3 To thee may each assembled house 
Morning and night, present its vows ; 
And servants with the rising race 

Be taught thy precepts and thy grace. 

4 Then shall the charms of wedded love, 
Still more delightful blessings prove : 
And parents' hearts shall overflow 
With joys that parents only know. 

5 When nature droops, our aged eyes 
Shall see our children's children rise ; 
Till pleased and thankful we remove, 
And join the family above. 

HYMN 349. C. M. 

Secret Devotion. Matt. vi. 6. 

1 Father divine ! thy piercing eye 
Shoots through the shades of night 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 325 

In deep retirement thou art nigh, 
With heart-discerning sight. 

2 There shall that piercing eye survey 

My duteous homage paid, 
With every morning's dawning ray, 
And every evening's shade. 

3 I '11 leave behind each earthly care ; 

To thee my soul shall soar ; 
While grateful praise and fervent prayer 
Employ the silent hour. 

4 So shall the visits of thy love 

My soul in secret bless ; 
So shalt thou deign, in worlds above, 
Thy suppliant to confess. 



HYMN 350. C. M. 

God may be worshipped in every Place. 

1 The highest heaven cannot contain 

The universal Lord ; 
Yet he in every heart will deign 
To dwell and be adored. 

2 Where'er ascends the sacrifice 

Of fervent praise and prayer, 
Or on the earth or in the skies, 
The God of heaven is there. 
28 



326 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

3 His presence is diffused abroad 

Thro' realms, thro' worlds unknown ; 
Who seek the mercies of our God, 
Are ever near his throne. 

4 With fervour teach our hearts to pray, 

With grateful joy to sing ; 
Nor from thine altar cast away 
The sacrifice we bring. 



HYMN 351. O. M. 

Privation of Sanctuary Privileges lamented. Ps. xlii. 1 — 5. 

1 O the abundance of thine house, 

The rich enjoyments there ! 
To live an exile from thy courts, 
How shall my spirit bear ! 

2 In worship when I joined thy saints, 

How sweetly passed my days ! 
Prayer my divine employment then, 
And all my pleasure praise. 

3 With those that to thy house resort, 

My sacrifice was paid ; 
And there my zeal fulfilled the vows 
My soul in anguish made. 

4 But now I 'm lost to every joy, 

Because detained from thee ; 
Those golden moments ne'er return, 
Or ne'er return to me. 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 327 

5 Yet O, my soul ! why thus depressed, 

And whence this anxious fear? 
Let former kindness fix thy trust, 
And cheek the rising tear. 

6 When darkness and when sorrows rose, 

And pressed on every side, 
Did not the Lord sustain thy steps, 
And was not God thy guide ? 



HYMN 352. C. M. 

Religious Education. 

1 When opening life its scenes unfolds, 

So dazzling and so new ; 
What hopes illume each coming day, 
And brighten every view ! 

2 How shall th' untutored mind of youth 

Elastic and elate, 
Discern the perils and the griefs 
Which after-life await ? 

3 O may it be a parent's joy 

Their heedless steps to lead ; 
And save them from the thousand snares 
By ill example spread. 

4 The counsels of thy faithful word 

Shall make their duty known ; 
And mould and regulate the hearts 
To earthly follies prone. 



328 DOMESTIC 



[Part IV. 



5 Here may thy youthful servants learn 

Timely to cleanse their way ; 

And steadfastly pursue the path 

Which guides to endless day. 

6 Their ripening years let mercy wait, 

Nor let it wait in vain ; 
But form in them abundant fruit, 
And still this fruit maintain. 



HYMN 353. S. M. 

Devotedness to the Cause of Christ, 

1 I love thy Zion, Lord I 
The place of thine abode ; 

The church, the blest Redeemer saved 
With his own precious blood. 

2 I love thy church, O God ! 
Her walls before thee stand, 

Dear as the apple of thine eye, 
And graven on thine hand. 

3 If e'er to bless thy sons. 
My voice or hands deny, 

These hands let useful skill forsake, 
This voice in silence die. 

4 If e'er my heart forget 
Her welfare or her wo ; 

Let every joy this heart forsake 
And every grief o'erflow. 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTlOxN. 329 

5 For her my tears shall fall, 
For her my prayers ascend ; 

To her my cares and toils be given, 
Till cares and toils shall end. 



HYMN 354. C. M. 

Heavenly Wisdom. Prov. iii. 13 — 17. 

O happy is the man who hears 
Instruction's faithful voice ; 

And who celestial wisdom makes 
His early, only choice ! 

Wisdom has treasures greater far 
Than east or west unfold ; 

And her rewards more precious are 
Than is the gain of gold. 

In her right hand she holds to view 

A length of happy days ; 
Riches, with splendid honours joined, 

Her left hand full displays. 

She guides the young, with innocence 
In pleasure's path to tread ; 

A crown of glory she bestows 
Upon the hoary head. 

According as her labours rise, 

So her rewards increase ; 
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, 

And all her paths are peace, 

28* 



330 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

HYMN 355. & M. 

The Voice of Wisdom. Prov. i. 20 — 26. 

1 Hark ! it is wisdom's voice 
That spreads itself around ; 

Come hither, all ye sons of earth, 
And listen to the sound. 

2 What though she speaks rebukes 
That pierce the soul with smart ; 

Yet love through all her chastenings runs. 
By pain to mend the heart. 

3 Ye who have wandered long 
In sin's destructive ways ; 

Return, return, at my reproof, 
And seize the offered grace, 

4 Profusely I will pour 
My spirit from above, 

To arm you with superior strength, 
And melt your hearts to love. 

5 Come, whilst my offers last, 
Ye sinners, and be wise ; 

He lives, who hears this friendly call, 
But he that slights it, dies ! 



HYMN 356. S. M. 

Domestic Affection founded on Piety. Ps. cxxxiii, 

1 Blest are the sons of peace, 
Whose hearts and hopes are one ; 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 331 

Whose kind designs to serve and please, 
Through all their actions run. 

2 Blest is the pious house, 
Where zeal and friendship meet : 

Their praise devout, and mingled prayers 
Make their communion sweet. 

3 From those celestial springs, 
Such streams of comfort flow, 

As no increase of riches brings, 
Nor honours can bestow. 

4 All in their stations move, 
And each performs his part, 

In all the cares of life and love, 
With sympathizing heart : 

5 Formed for the purest joys, 
By one desire possest ; 

One aim the zeal of all employs, 
To make each other blest. 

6 Thus on the heavenly hills 
The saints are blest above ; 

Where joy like morning dew distils, 
And all the air is love. 



HYMN 357. L. M. 

Christian Friendship. 

1 How blest the sacred tie that binds 
In union sweet according minds ! 



332 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

How swift the heavenly course they run, 
Whose hearts, and faith, and hopes are one ! 

2 To each, the soul of each, how clear ! 
What jealous love, what holy fear ! 
How doth the generous flame within 
Refine from earth, and cleanse from sin ! 

3 Their streaming eyes together flow 
For human guilt and mortal wo ; 
Their ardent prayers together rise 
Like min^liiisr flames in sacrifice. 

4 Together shall they seek the place 
Where God reveals his awful face : 

How high, how strong, their raptures swell, 
There 's none but kindred souls can tell. 

5 Nor shall the glowing flame expire 
When nature droops her sickening fire ; 
Then shall they meet in realms above, 
A heaven of joy — because of love. 



HYMN 358. L. M. 

Decay of the Year, or of Human Life. 

1 The man whose faith and hope are strong, 
And free from vexing cares his mind, 
As changing seasons pass along, 
Can in them all fresh pleasures find. 



Tart IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 333 

2 The man whose faculties are sound, 
His heart upright, and conscience clean, 
With tranquil mind can pass his round 
Of life, in every shifting scene. 

3 Not only in his youthful prime, 
And while his powers continue firm, 
But when he feels th' effect of time, 
And age prepares him for the worm : 

4 Grateful for every blessing past, 
Patient in every present ill ; 

And on whatever ground he 's placed, 
Hope does with pleasing prospects fill. 



HYMN 359. L. M. 

A Happy Life. 

How happy is he born and taught, 
AVho serveth not another's will ; 
Whose armour is his honest thought, 
And simple truth, his utmost skill ! 

Whose passions not his masters are, 
Whose soul is still prepared for death, 
Untied to this vain world by care 
Of public fame, or private breath : 

Who hath his life from rumours freed, 
Whose conscience is his strong retreat ; 
Whose state can neither flatterers feed, 
Nor ruin make oppressors great : 



334 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

4 Who God doth late and early pray 
More of his grace than gifts to lend ; 
To crave for less, and more obey, 

Nor dare with heaven's high will contend. 

5 This man is freed from servile bands 
Of hope to rise, or fear to fall : 
Lord of himself, though not of lands, 
And having nothing, yet hath all. 



HYMN 360. C. M. 

On recovering' from a dangerous Sickness. 

1 My God ! thy service well demands 

The remnant of my days ; 
Why was this fleeting breath renewed, 
But to renew thy praise ? 

2 Thine arms of everlasting love 

Did this weak frame sustain, 
When life was hovering o'er the grave, 
And nature sunk in pain. 

3 Calmly I watched my ebbing, life, 

I knew thy time was best, 
Nor feared t' obey my Father's call 
To his eternal rest. 

4 Into thy hands, my gracious God, 

Did I my soul resign, 
And humbly trusted in thy grace, 
For pardoning love is thine. 



Part IV.] AISD PRIVATE DEVOTION. 335 

5 Back, from the borders of the grave, 

At thy command 1 come ; 
Nor would I wish a speedier flight 
To my celestial home. 

6 Where thou appointest mine abode, 

There would I choose to be ; 
For in thy presence death is life, 
And earth is heaven with thee. 



HYMN 361. S. M. 

Prayer in Sickness. 

1 My sovereign ! to thy throne 
With humble hope I press ; 

O bow thine ear to hear the groan 
Of anguish and distress. 

2 My life bowed down with pain, 
Mourns its decaying bloom ; 

O clothe these bones with flesh again, 
And save me from the tomb. 

3 Without one murmuring word 
Thy chastening I receive ; 

But with submission ask, O Lord ! 
A merciful reprieve. 

4 Distressed and pained as now, 
Thine aid I once implored ; 

Thy pity heard my earnest vow, 
Thy power my health restored. 



336 DOMESTIC [Part IV 

5 My supplicating voice 

Unwearied I will raise ; 
Say to thy servant's soul, " Rejoice," 

And rill my mouth with praise. 



HYMN 362. C. M. 

In a Thunder Storm. 

1 Let coward guilt, with pallid fear, 

To sheltering caverns fly, 
And justly dread the vengeful fate 
That thunders through the sky. 

2 Protected by that hand whose law 

The threatening storms obey, 
Intrepid virtue smiles secure 
As in the blaze of day. 

3 In the thick cloud's tremendous gloom, 

The lightning's lurid glare, 
It views the same all-gracious Power, 
That breathes the vernal air. 

4 Through nature's ever-varying scene, 

By different ways pursued, 
The one eternal end of Heaven 
Is universal good ; 

5 With like beneficent effect 

O'er flaming ether glows, 
As when it tunes the linnet's voice, 
And blushes in the rose. 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 337 

6 When through creation's vast expanse, 

The last dread thunders roll, 
Untune the concord of the spheres, 
And shake the guilty soul : 

7 Unmoved may we the final storm 

Of jarring worlds survey, 
That ushers in the tranquil morn 
Of life's eternal day. 



HYMN 363. C. M. 

Hymn for the Mariner or Traveller. Ps. evil. 

1 Let songs of praise from all below 

To thee, O God, ascend, 
Whose bounties unexhausted flow, 
Whose mercies know no end. 

2 But chief by them that debt be paid, 

'Midst dangers circling round, 
Who still in thine almighty aid 
Have sure protection found. 

8 The wandering exile, doomed to stray 
O'er many a desert wide ; 
Who fearless takes his lonely way, 
With thee his guard, and guide : — 

4 The sailor on the swelling sea, 
When storms impending lower, 
Or tempests rage ; who trusts in thee, 
And owns thy mighty power : — 

29 



338 DOMESTIC [Part IV 

5 The wretch, who pressed by countless w r oes, 

That no cessation see, 
Still bids his steadfast hope repose, 
Almighty Lord, on thee : 

6 All, all shall join to bless thy name, 

Whose heavenly aid they prove ; 
As all have felt, let all proclaim 
Thy goodness, power, and love ! 



HYMN 364. L. M. 

The daily Goodness of God. 

1 My God! how endless is thy love! 
Thy gifts are every evening new ; 
And morning mercies from above 
Gently distil like early dew. 

2 Thou spread'st the curtains of the night, 
Great Guardian of my sleeping hours ! 
Thy sovereign word restores the light, 
And quickens all my drowsy powers. 

3 O let thy love surround me still ; 
O let thy truth my heart employ, 
And bring me to thine holy hill, 
My portion and my endless joy ! 

4 I yield my powers to thy command ; 
To thee I consecrate my days ; 
Perpetual blessings from thy hand 
Demand perpetual songs of praise. 



Part IV] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 339 

HYMN 365. L. M. 

Guidance through the Duties of the Day implored. Ps. xix. 

1 God of the morning ! at thy voice 
The cheerful sun makes haste to rise, 
And like a giant doth rejoice 
To run his journey through the skies. 

2 From the fair chambers of the east 
The circuit of his race begins ; 
And without weariness or rest, 
Round the whole world he flies and shines. 

3 Thus like the sun may I fulfil 
Th' appointed duties of the day ; 
With ready mind and active will, 
March on and keep my heavenly way. 

4 Lord ! thy commands are clear and pure, 
Enlightening our beclouded eyes; 
Thy threatenings just, thy promise sure ; 
Thy gospel makes the simple wise. 

5 Give me thy counsel for my guide, 
And then receive me to thy bliss : 
Let all desires and hopes beside 
Be faint and cold compared with this. 



HYMN 366. L. M. 

A Morning- Hymn. 

1 With sleep's oblivion o'er me spread, 
I safely passed the silent night : 



540 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

Again I sec the breaking shade, 
I drink again the morning light. 

2 New-born, I bless the waking hour ; 
Once more, with awe, rejoice to be ; 
My conscious soul resumes her power, 
And springs, my guardian God ! to thee, 

3 O guide me through the various maze 
My doubtful feet are doomed to tread; 
And spread thy shield's protecting blaze 
Where dangers press around my head. 

4 A deeper shade shall soon impend, 
A deeper sleep my eyes oppress ; 

Yet then thy strength shall still defend. 
Thy goodness still delight to bless. 

5 ^hat deeper shade shall break away, 
That deeper sleep shall leave my eyes ; 
Thy light shall give eternal day ; 

Thy love, the rapture of the skies, 



HYMN 367. C. M. 

A Morning- Hymn. 

1 To thee let my first offerings rise, 

Whose sun creates my day, 
Swift as his gladdening influence flies* 
And spotless as his ray. 

2 This day thy favouring hand be nigh ? 

So oft vouchsafed before ; 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 341 

Still may it lead, protect, supply, 
And I that hand adore. 

3 If good thy providence impart, 

For which resigned I pray, 
Give me to feel the grateful heart, 
And without guilt be gay. 

4 Affliction should thy love intend, 

As sin or folly's cure ; 
Patient to gain that blessed end, 
May I the means endure. 

5 If bright or cloudy scenes await, 

Some profit let me gain, 
That heaven nor high, nor low estate., 
May send to me in vain. 

6 Be this and every future day 

Still wiser than the past ; 
That from the whole of life's survey, 
I may find peace at last. 



HYMN 368. L. M. 

A Morning- Hymn. 

1 Awake, my soul ! and with the sun 
Thy daily stage of duty run ; 
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise 
To pay thy morning sacrifice. 

2 By influence of the light divine 

Let thine ow r n light to others shine ; 
29* 



342 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

Reflect all heaven's propitious rays, 
In ardent love and cheerful praise. 

3 Lord ! I my vows to thee renew, 
Scatter my sins as morning dew ; 

Guard my first springs of thought and will. 
And with thyself my spirit fill. 

4 Direct, control, suggest, this day, 
All I design, or do, or say ; 

That all my powers, with all their might, 
In thy sole glory may unite. 

5 All praise to thee who safe hast kept, 
And hast refreshed me while I slept ; 

grant when I from death shall wake, 

1 may of endless life partake. 



HYMN 369. C. M. 

Morning- or Evening Hymn. 

1 Lord of my life ! each morn on thee 

My waking thoughts attend ; 
In thee are founded all my hopes, 
In thee my wishes end. 

2 My soul, in pleasing wonder lost, 

Thy boundless love surveys ; 
And, fired with grateful zeal, prepares 
A sacrifice of praise. 

3 God leads me through the maze of sleep, 

And brings me safe to light; 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION, 343 

And, with the same paternal care, 
Conducts my steps till night. 

4 When evening slumbers press my eyes, 

With his protection blest, 

In peace and safety I commit 

My weary limbs to rest. 

5 My spirit in his hand secure, 

Fears no approaching ill ; 
For, whether waking or asleep, 
Thou, Lord, art with me stilL 

6 O let this day each hour correct 

The follies of the past, 
And such may all its actions be, 
As would adorn the last. 



HYMN 370. L. M. 

An Evening Hymn. 

1 Glory to thee, my God ! this night, 
For all the blessings of the light : 
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings ! 
Beneath thine own almighty wings ! 

2 Forgive whatever I 've said or done 

Or felt or thought this day that 's wrong 
That with the world, myself, and thee, 
I, e'er I sleep, at peace may be. 

3 Teach me to live, that I may dread 
The grave as little as my bed : 



344 bOMESTIC [Part IV. 

Teach me to die, that so I may 
Serene behold the judgment day. 

4 O may my soul on thee repose, 

And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close ; 
Sleep, that shall me more active make 
My God to serve, when 1 awake. 

5 If death itself my sleep invade, 
Why should I be of death afraid ? 
Protected by thy powerful arm, 
Though he may strike, he cannot harm. 

6 For death is life, and labour rest, 
If with thy gracious presence blest : 
Then welcome sleep or death to me, 
I 'm still secure, for still with thee. 



HYMN 371. L. M. 

An Evening- Hymn. 

Thus far, thou, Lord ! hast led me on ; 
Thus far thy power prolongs my days ; 
And every evening shall make known 
Some fresh memorial of thy grace. 

Much of my time has run to waste, 
And I perhaps am near my home ; 
Thou wilt forgive my follies past, 
And give me strength for days to come. 

I lay my body down to sleep ; 
Peace is the pillow of my head ; 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 345 

Thine ever-watchful eye shall keep 
Its constant guard around my bed. 

4 Faith in thy name forbids my fear : 
O may thy presence ne'er depart ! 
And in the morning may I bear 
Thy loving-kindness on my heart ! 

5 Thus when the night of death shall come 
My frame shall rest beneath the ground ; 
And wait thy voice to break my tomb, 
With sweet salvation in the sound. 



HYMN 372. 7s. M. 

Meditations in the Night Season. Ps. lxiii. 6. 

1 What though downy slumbers flee, 
Strangers to my couch and me ; 
While w r ith God's protection blest, 
Cares and fears ne'er haunt my breast. 

2 While the empress of the night 
Scatters mild her silver light ; 
While the vivid planets stray 
Various through their mystic way : 

3 While the stars unnumbered roll 
Round the ever-constant pole ; 
Far above these spangled skies, 
All my soul to God shall rise. 

4 'Midst the silence of the night 
Mingling with those angels bright, 



346 DOMESTIC [Part IV 

Whose harmonious voices raise 
Ceaseless love and ceaseles praise ; 

5 'Midst the throng his gentle ear 
Shall my grateful accents hear : 
From on high will he impart 
Secret comfort to my heart : 

6 Lifting all my thoughts above 
On the wings of faith and love : 
Blest alternative to me, 

Thus to sleep, or wake with thee ! 



HYMN 373. S. M. 

Si mplicity and Beauty of Christian Institutions. Fs, xlviii. 

1 Great is the Lord our God, 
And let his praise be great ; 

He makes the church his blest abode. 
His most delightful seat. 

2 With joy, let Judah stand 
On Zion's chosen hill ; 

Proclaim the wonders of thy hand, 
The counsels of thy will. 

3 Let strangers walk around 
The city where we dwell ; 

Compass and view the holy ground, 
And mark the building well ; 

4 The orders of thine house, 
The worship of thy court. 



Part IT.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 347 

The cheerful songs, the solemn vows, 
And all its grace report. 

5 How decent and how wise ! 
How glorious to behold ! 

Beyond the pomp that charms the eyes, 
Or rites adorned with gold. 

6 The God we worship now 
Will guide us till we die, 

Our guardian God while here below, 
Ours through eternity. 



HYMN 374. C. M. 

God's tender Care of his People. Ps. xxiii. 

1 The Lord himself, the mighty Lord, 

Vouchsafes to be my guide ; 
The Shepherd by whose constant care 
My wants are all supplied. 

2 In tender grass he makes me feed, 

And gently there repose ; 
Then leads me in cool shades, and where 
Refreshing water flows. 

3 He does my wandering feet reclaim, 

And, to his endless praise, 
Instruct with humble zeal to walk 
In his most righteous ways. 

4 I pass the gloomy vale of death, 

From fear and danger free ; 



843 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

For there his aiding rod and staff 
Defend and comfort me. 

5 Since God doth thus his wondrous love 
Through all my life extend, 
That life to him I will devote, 
And in his service spend. 



HYMN 375. S. M. 

Obedience to God our Father. 

1 My Father ! I adore 

That all-commanding name ; 
O may it virtue's strength restore, 
And raise devotion's flame ! 

2 I bow at thy commands, 
And filial homage pay ; 

With heart and life, with tongue and 
I '11 cheerfully obey. [hands, 

3 No more will I transgress, 
As I too oft have done ; 

But every sinful thought suppress, 
Each sinful action shun. 

4 My Father thus I '11 claim, 
And prove myself his son ; 

And, while I bear the filial name, 
The filial duties own. 

5 Do thou the strength impart, 
This purpose to fulfil : 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTIOxNT. 349 

Lord, write thy laws upon my heart, 
That I may do thy will. 



HYMN 376. L. M. 

Safety of the Church in public Calamities. Ps. xlvi. 

1 God is the refuge of his saints, 

When fiercest storms their peace invade ; 
Ere we can offer our complaints, 
Behold him present with his aid. 

2 Let mountains from their seats be hurled 
Down to the deep, and buried there, 
Convulsions shake the solid world, — 
Our faith shall never yield to fear. 

3 There is a stream, whose gentle flow 
Supplies the city of our God ; 

Life, love, and joy still gliding through, 
And watering our divine abode. 

4 Zion enjoys her Sovereign's love, 
Secure in every threatening hour ; 
Nor can her firm foundations move, 
Built on his truth and armed with power. 



HYMN 377. s & 7s. M. 

Prosperity of the Church. Isa. xxxiii. 20, 21. 

1 Glorious things of thee are spoken, 
Zion, city of our God ! 
30 



350 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

He, whose word cannot be broken, 
Formed thee for his own abode : 

2 On the Rock of ages founded — 

What can shake thy sure repose ? 
With salvation's walls surrounded, 
Thou mayest smile at all thy foes. 

3 Round each habitation hovering, 

See the cloud and fire appear ! 
For a glory and a covering, 
Showing that the Lord is near. 

4 See the streams of living waters, 

Springing from eternal love, 
Cheer and bless thy sons and daughters, 
And all fear of want remove : 

5 Who can faint while such a river 

Ever flows their thirst t' assuage ? 
Grace, which like the Lord, the giver, 
Never fails from age to age. 



HYMN 373. L. M 

The Excellency of the Gospel. 

1 God, in the gospel of his Son, 
Makes his eternal counsels known ; 
And sinners of an humble frame 

May taste his grace and learn his name. 

2 Wisdom its dictates here imparts, 

To form our minds, to cheer our hearts ; 



Part IV] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 351 

Its influence makes the sinner live ; 
It bids the drooping saint revive. 

3 Our raging passions it controls, 
And comfort yields to contrite souls ; 
It brings a better world in view, 

And guides us all our journey through. 

4 May this blest volume ever lie 
Close to my heart and near my eye ; 
To life's last hour my soul employ, 
xAnd fit me for the heavenly joy. 



HYMN 379. 61. L. M. 

The Mission of Jesus Christ. 

Lights of your race in ancient times ! 
In every age and different climes, 

For wisdom famed among mankind, 
Withdraw your thinly-scattered rays, 
Before the broad, overpowering blaze 

Of the supreme eternal mind. 

Mercy's great year, in heaven enrolled, 
Bv seers succeedin ; seers foretold, 

Was now with solemn pomp unsealed j 
True Light of men, Messiah came, 
In his almighty Father's name, 

And immortality revealed. 

Filled with his Father's strength he taught; 
The dumb in rapture speak their thought, 
The lame leap like the bounding roe : 



352 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

The rayless eyeballs drink the light, 
Death yields his spoils to Jesus' might, 
And demons shrink to shades below. 

4 O works of power, O works of love, 
Which Christ's divine commission prove, 

And every rising doubt control ! 
Pledge of the power, and love more strong, 
"Which to the Son of God belong, 
To heal the miseries of the soul ! 



HYMN 380. L. M. 

Invitations of the Gospel. Matt. xi. 28-30. 

1 " Come hither, all ye weary souls, 
" Ye heavy laden sinners, come ; 

" I '11 give you rest from all jour toils, 
" And raise you to my heavenly home. 

2 " They shall find rest that learn of me ; 
" I 'm of a meek and lowly mind ; 
"But passion rages like the sea, 

" And pride is restless as the wind. 

3 " Blest is the man whose shoulders take 
" My yoke, and bear it with delight ; 

" My yoke is easy to his neck, 

" My grace shall make the burden light." 

4 Great God, we come at this command, 
With faith, and hope, and humble zeal, 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTIOx\. 353 

Resig 1 our spirits to thy hand, 
To mould and guide us at thy will. 



HYMN 331. C. M. 

The Way and End of the Righteous and the Wicked. 
Ps. xxxvii. 

1 My God, the steps of pious men 

Are ordered by thy will ; 
Though they should fall, they rise again, 
Thy hand supports them still. 

2 The Lord delights to see their ways, 

Their virtue he approves ; 
He '11 ne'er deprive them of his grace, 
Nor leave the men he loves. 

3 The heavenly heritage is theirs, 

Their portion and their home ; 
He keeps them now, and makes them heirs 
Of blessings long to come. 

4 The haughty sinner have I seen, 

Not fearing man, nor God ; 
Like princely laurel, fair and green, 
Spreading its arms abroad : 

5 And lo ! he vanished from the ground, 

Destroyed by hands unseen ; 
Nor root, nor branch, nor leaf was found, 
Where all that pride had been. 

30* 



354 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

6 But mark the man of righteousness, 
His several steps attend ; 
True pleasure runs through all his ways, 
And peaceful is his end. 



HYMN 382. L. M. 

The Christian Warfare. 

1 Arise, my soul ! shake off thy fears, 
And gird the gospel armour on ; 
March to the gates of endless joy, 
Where thy great Captain, Christ, has gone. 

2 Sin and the world resist thy course ; 
But these, my soul ! are vanquished foes ; 
For Jesus nailed them to the cross, 

And sang the triumph when he rose. 

3 Then let my soul march boldly on, 
Press forward to the heavenly gate ; 
There peace and joy eternal reign, 
And glittering robes for conquerers wait. 

4 There shall I wear a victor's crown, 
And triumph in th' Almighty's grace ; 
There all the just, in chorus joined, 
Unite, to celebrate his praise. 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 355 

HYMN 383. S. 31. 

Christian Friendship. 

1 Blest be the tie that binds 
Our hearts in christian love ; 

The fellowship of kindred minds 
Is like to that above. 

2 Before our Father's throne, 
We pour our ardent prayers ; 

Our fears, our hopes, our aims, are one, 
Our comforts, and our cares. 

3 We share our mutual woes, 
Our mutual burthens beas ; 

And often for each other flows 
The sympathizing tear. 

4 When we asunder part, 
It gives us inward pain ; 

But we shall still be joined in heart, 
And hope to meet again. 

5 This glorious hope revives 
Our courage by the way ; 

While each in expectation lives, 
And longs to see the day. 

G When from these scenes of pain, 

From sinful bondage free, 
That love shall glow with purer flame, 

And crown eternity. 



356 DOMESTIC [Part IV. 

HYMN 384. L. M. 

Ordination Hymn. 

1 God ! who art love, whose kindness binds 
In friendship pure congenial minds ; 

tid truth and love exert their power, 
And consecrate this grateful hour. 

2 Pastor and flock before thee stand, 
Before thee pledge affection's hand; 
To ties so sacred strength be given, 
Let them be ratified in heaven. 

3 To light his mind, to warm his heart, 
To form his life, thy truth impart ; 
To duty be his soul applied, 

Jesus his pattern, God his guide. 

4 Blest privilege and honour high ! 
To point to God the anxious eye, 
Dispense the truth of heaven's bright page, 
The troubles of the heart assuage, 

5 Chase error's clouds, hush death's alarms, 
Recall the lost to mercy's arms, 

Pour hope's soft balm in sorrow's breast, 
The dying sooth with heaven's sweet rest. 

6 Be this his privilege and care ; 
Accept our homage, hear our prayer ; 
Pastor and flock before thee stand, 
Before thee pledge affection's hand. 



Part IV.] AND PRIVATE DEVOTION. 357 

7 The hand must wither ; but the love, 
Be that renewed in heaven above ; 
And deathless ties cement the whole 
In that blest world, where soul meets soul. 



HYMN 385. L. M. 

God our Helper. 1 Sam. vii. 12. 

1 My Helper, God ! I bless thy name, 
The same thy power, thy grace the same : 
The tokens of thy friendly care 

Open, and crown, and close the year. 

2 Amidst ten thousand deaths I stand, 
Supported by thy guardian hand ; 
And see, when I survey thy ways, 
Ten thousand monuments of praise. 

3 Thus far thine arm hath led me on ; 
Thus far I make thy mercy known ; 
And while I tread the desert land, 
New blessings shall new songs demand. 

4 My grateful soul on Jordan's shore 
Shall raise one sacred pillar more : 
Then bear, in thy bright courts above, 
Inscriptions of immortal love. 



ASCRIPTIONS AND BENEDICTIONS. 



1. 8 & 7s. M. 

Praise to thee, thou great Creator, 

Praise to thee from every tongue ; 
Join, my soul, with every creature, 

Join the universal song : 
For ten thousand blessings given, 

For the hope of future joy ; 
Sound his praise through earth and heaven, 

Sound Jehovah's praise on high. 

2. S. M. 

To God the only wise, 

Our Saviour and our King, 
Let all the saints below the skies 

Their grateful homage bring. 

May he present our souls 

Unblemished and complete, 
Before the glory of his face, 

With joys divinely great. 

3. L. i¥. 

O may we live before thy face, 
The willing subjects of thy grace, 
And through each path of duty move, 
With filial awe and filial love. 



360 ASCRIPTIONS AND BENEDICTIONS. 

4. 8 & 7s. M. 

Lord ! dismiss us with thy blessing, 

Hope and comfort from above ; 
Let us each, thy peace possessing, 

Triumph in redeeming love. 
Thanks we give and adoration, 

For thy gospel's joyful sound ; 
May the fruits of thy salvation 

In our hearts and lives abound. 

5. L. M. 

To thee, supreme, the ever-blest, 
Be praise in thankful notes add test ; 
Such as the stars of morning sung, 
When earth was on its balance hung : 
Such praise as from th' angelic choirs, 
And saints whom zeal like theirs inspires, 
In heaven above, and earth below, 
Still flows, and shall forever flow. 

6. C. M. 

Blest are the souls that hear and know 

The gospel's joyful sound ; 
Peace shall attend the path they go, 

And light their steps surround: 
The Lord, our glory and defence, 

Strength and salvation gives ; 
Christian ! thy Saviour ever reigns, 

Thy God forever lives. 



ASCRIPTIONS AND BENEDICTIONS. 361 



7. 7s. M. 

Glorious in thy saints appear, 
Plant thy heavenly kingdom here ; 
Light and life to all impart, 
Shine on each believing heart, 
And in every grace complete, 
Make us for thy glory meet, 
Till we stand before thy sight, 
Partners with the saints in light. 

8. L. M. 

From all that dwell below the skies, 
Let the Creator's praise arise ! 
Let the Redeemer's name be sung, 
Through every land, by every tongue. 
Unceasing are thy mercies, Lord ! 
Unchanging truth attends thy word ; 
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, 
Till suns shall rise and set no more, 

9. C. M. 

Pity thine erring world, O God ! 

Constrain the earth to come; 
Send thy victorious word abroad, 

And bring the strangers home : 
We long to see thy churches full, 

That all thy chosen race 
May with one voice, and heart, and soul, 

Sing thy redeeming grace, 
31 



362 ASCRIPTIONS AND BENEDICTIONS. 



10. 8 &7s. M. 

Lord of nature ! Source of light ! 

In pity view thy world below : 
Guide our erring footsteps right, 

Through these scenes of guilt and wo : 
Grant thy spirit ! by thy kindness 

Let our follies be forgiven : 
Heal our sins, dispel our blindness; 

Let us find the path to heaven. 

11. 7 s. M. 

Thou, who dost our powers sustain, 
While we in thy courts remain ; 
Grant us separate still to share, 
Thy paternal smile and care. 
Here again we fain would raise 
Our united prayers and praise ; 
If that joy no more be known, 
Let us meet around thy throne. 

12. 8&7s. M. . 

Gracious Source of every blessing, 

Guard our breasts from anxious fears 
Let us each thy care possessing 

Sink into the vale of years : 
All our hopes on thee reclining, 

Peace, companion of our way ; 
May our sun in smiles declining, 

Rise in everlasting day. 



ANTHEM. 

Holy, Holy, Holy, 
Lord God Almighty! 
Thou to whom alone are 
All praise and glory due ! 

Holy, Holy, Holy, 
Lord God Almighty ! 
Father everlasting ! 
Righteous, just, and true ! 

Bending down before thee, 
Lo ! thy sons adore thee, 
Heart and voice declaring 

Jehovah is thy name : 
Winds in tempests blowing, 
Waves o'er ocean flowing, 
To remotest regions 

Thy might and power proclaim. 

In the heaven's expansion 
Thou hast fixed thy mansion, 
Clouds of endless glory 

Encompassing thy throne ; 
Heard but in thy thunders ! 
Seen but in thy wonders ! 
Through eternal ages 

Thou art God alone. 



364 ANTHEM. 

'Tis thy breath informs us, 
5 Tis thy spirit warms us, 
If thy face be turned 

We should cease to be ! 
Height nor depth oppose thee, 
Trembling nature knows thee, 
Through the vast creation 

There is none but thee ! 



Holy, Holy, Holy, 
Lord God Almighty ! 
Thou to whom alone are 
All praise and glory due ! 

Holy, Holy, Holy, 
Lord God Almighty ! 
Father everlasting ; 
Righteous, just, and true! 



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Wmfk.jEjEKm The other book had a nearly similar title, . / 
Selection of Hymns and Psalms, for social and private 
worship (Andover, 1821 ; 2nd ed., Cambridge, 1824; nth 
ed., Boston, 1832). It was compiled by J. P. Dabney, with 
an eye for practical considerations: being smaller, cheaper, 
better arran ged, and with less tinkering of familiar texts. 
It came into very considerable, though far 
1, use in the churches. We may perhaps re- 



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